The pilot of the experimental Sportsman GS2 told investigators that his electronic cockpit display indicated 23 gallons of fuel prior to flight, but he did not visually inspect the fuel tanks as it would have required a step ladder.
About 10 minutes after takeoff, the engine lost all power, and the pilot performed a forced landing in a field near Pell City, Alabama.
During the landing, the airplane hit a ditch and came to rest upright.
The pilot checked the fuel tanks after the accident and they were empty.
Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed that the main landing gear separated and the left wing strut sustained substantial damage.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during cruise flight due to fuel exhaustion.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This October 2022 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
I think they’re going a little too far with this “0 emissions”
Oh come on guys, you obviously don’t need a ladder if you don’t plan to put fuel in the high wing plane
From EI on using their fuel flow gauge;
‘ The fuel remaining displayed by the FP-5 is not a measurement of the fuel in the tanks.
It is an amount calculated from the starting fuel level you programmed into the FP-5, minus the fuel used while the engine was running. ‘
So, a pilot MUST know the amount of fuel in the tanks.
In a certified aircraft a fuel gauge for each tank is a requirement.
For an experimental aircraft….not required ?
How does one fly your own plane and not be just a little aware of how much fuel you have, even with no gauges? Example: “I topped off at KXYZ last week and one hour home. That gives me, roughly, 19 gallons, or three hours flight time.”
For this pilot to be so unaware that he takes off with only TEN MINUTES OF FUEL (little over one gallon??) is absolutely incredible!
A stepladder and we most likely wouldn’t be reading this. If you don’t have time to do a proper preflight you don’t have time to fly.
Having served my time in the Army as an electronics technician I know better than to trust electronics.
Visual inspection and a clock have served me well.
As the Wise Man once said: “Trust but verify.” It could save your life.
/J
I like Netanyaho’s shorter version of this quote:
“Verify”.
Yeah, that one works better for me also!
I take umbridge with the headline of the article…..I believe that a more accurate headline would be a statement such as this: the pilot in commands poor decisions resulted in the loss / damage of his aircraft. As that is the root cause of why the supply of fuel was not enough to ensure the completion of that flight the aircraft will always obey the laws of physics and the headline you used fuel exhaustion brings down aircraft is not entirely correct the lack of fuel certainly contributed to the end result but the root of the problem was the pilot and the decisions that the pilot made prior to starting the engine
I agree,
I’d list it as ‘fuel exhaustion due to wrong evaluation of fuel onboard’.
This 4,500 hr pilot flew this aircraft for 418 hours, so had to refuel at least 100 times.
So, he couldn’t or never bothered to calibrate the fuel flow sensor ‘K’ factor.
More Stupid Pilot Tricks.!!
No excuses for not having a ladder to check the fuel.
How did he refuel the aircraft ? Have the FOB do it ? And he never looked at the receipt vs the digital display.?
So, an older CFI, with 2 aircraft, and looks to have built the Sportsman, with 418 hrs on it.
Apparently he did not get the fuel flow sensor ‘K’ factor calibrated accurately, or at all, per the lengthy instruction from the GlasAir forum.
Being 20+ gallons off is really poor.!