Pilot Debrief

VARGA AIRCRAFT CORP. 2150A near Green Lake, WI — 2023-07-27

Final reportCEN23LA329
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Date
2023-07-27
Location
Green Lake, WI, USA
Aircraft
VARGA AIRCRAFT CORP. 2150A
Registration
N5601G
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot’s inadequate preflight planning.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was flying the airplane to the annual Experimental Aircraft Association Airventure fly-in at the Wittman Regional Airport (OSH), Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and was proceeding as prescribed in the Notices to Air Missions (NOTAM) pertaining to arrivals to the airport. He stated that the airplane’s engine lost power and he activated the auxiliary fuel pump, which restored engine power briefly. The engine again lost power and the pilot executed a forced landing to a corn field. The airplane nosed over during the landing and incurred substantial damage to the fuselage and vertical tail. Postaccident examination revealed no smell of fuel at the accident site and no evidence of a fuel spill. No usable quantity of fuel was found within the fuel tanks and the tanks were not breached. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Automatic dependent surveillance - broadcast (ADS-B) data revealed that the flight lasted about 3.6 hours. According to the airplane operations manual, the maximum flight duration at normal cruise was about 3.9 hours without reserve, but was predicated on using a lean mixture setting. Based on the available information, it is likely that the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel levels before departure to ensure adequate fuel for the flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • 6 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents6

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