Fuel exhaustion Accident Van's RV-9A N809RD,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 170160
 
This record has been locked for editing.

Date:Saturday 27 September 2014
Time:16:00
Type:Silhouette image of generic RV9 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Van's RV-9A
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N809RD
MSN: 90781
Year of manufacture:2008
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Lake Water Wheel Airport (XS99), Shepherd, TX -   United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Shepherd, TX (XS99)
Destination airport:Shepherd, TX (XS99)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The private pilot had conducted a 1-hour personal flight and was attempting to land the experimental amateur-built airplane. The airplane impacted trees and terrain short of the intended runway. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Examination of the airplane wreckage revealed that the airplane was in an inverted, level attitude at the time of impact. The fuel tanks were ruptured; however, no evidence of fuel spillage or fuel blighting to surrounding vegetation was noted during the on-scene examination, and no fuel was found in the tanks. The departure airport did not have fueling services available at the time of the accident. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the pilot did not ensure that the gyroplane had adequate fuel for the flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power. Further, it is likely that, while the pilot was attempting to maintain altitude to clear the trees at the approach end of the runway after the loss of engine power, he lost control of the airplane.

Probable Cause: The pilot’s loss of airplane control during the landing approach after a loss of engine power, which led to a collision with trees and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning, which led to fuel exhaustion and the subsequent loss of engine power.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CEN14LA527
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
28-Sep-2014 03:24 Geno Added
28-Sep-2014 03:43 Geno Updated [Phase, Source, Narrative]
04-Oct-2014 00:34 Geno Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
21-Dec-2016 19:28 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
30-Nov-2017 19:11 ASN Update Bot Updated [Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]

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