Pilot Debrief

VANS RV6 near Eaton, OH — 2023-04-26

Final reportERA23LA208
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Date
2023-04-26
Location
Eaton, OH, USA
Aircraft
VANS RV6
Registration
N327WC
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB narrative

The pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane purchased it the day before the accident. After the purchase, the pilot completed two flights in the airplane uneventfully. The next day, during the third flight, the engine lost all power and the airplane nosed over in a field during a forced landing, coming to rest inverted. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that both fuel tanks were absent of fuel and there was no evidence of fuel spillage at the accident site. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane’s automotive conversion engine were observed. When asked after the accident how much fuel was onboard when the airplane was delivered, and how much (if any) was added to it, the pilot responded that he did not know. The pilot believed that during a previous flight he had started with around 35 gallons and that 8 to 10 gallons should have been onboard at the time of the accident based on the airplane’s fuel quantity gauges. The previous owner stated that the airplane was delivered with approximately 3 gallons in the right-wing fuel tank and 10 gallons in the left-wing fuel tank. Based on this information, it is likely that the pilot overestimated the fuel quantity onboard the airplane, and had based that estimate on fuel quantity gauge indications that may have been inaccurate. This subsequently resulted in fuel exhaustion and the total loss of engine power.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot should have verified fuel levels before the flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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