Pilot Debrief

WORLD AIRCRAFT CO SPIRIT near Granbury, TX — 2015-08-07

Final reportCEN15LA355
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Date
2015-08-07
Location
Granbury, TX, USA
Aircraft
WORLD AIRCRAFT CO SPIRIT
Registration
N65XT
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to use the fuel boost pump following the loss of engine power and the fuel system’s inadequate design, which did not allow for equalization of fuel between the fuel tanks and led to a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and subsequent forced landing.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight. The pilot reported that, when the airplane was about 4 miles from the airport, he made a series of prolonged left turns at cruise altitude to allow another airplane that was in the area to land at the airport. After making the left turns, the engine experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot performed a forced landing on a tall grass field after being unable to restart the engine. The pilot was unable to slow the airplane with full application of wheel brakes due to the tall grass, and the airplane impacted a barbed wire fence and then came to rest. Examination of the wreckage showed that the fuel system design did not allow for the equalization of fuel between the fuel tanks, which led to the engine being starved of fuel following the sustained left turns. The pilot did not use the fuel boost pump while troubleshooting the loss of engine power, which would have provided a positive fuel flow/pressure to the engine and resolved the fuel starvation condition. Following the postaccident examination of the airplane, the airplane manufacturer modified the fuel system to allow for the equalization of fuel between the fuel tanks.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have turned on the fuel pump when the engine first ran rough.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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