Accident Rutan Long-EZ N539AD,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 78684
 
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Date:Tuesday 12 October 2010
Time:19:50
Type:Silhouette image of generic LGEZ model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Rutan Long-EZ
Owner/operator:Allen Dunlap
Registration: N539AD
MSN: 539
Total airframe hrs:33 hours
Engine model:Lycoming O-320-E3D
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Lake Harris, Florida -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Leesburg, FL (LEE)
Destination airport:Leesburg, FL
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
According to the pilot, he made a go-around after his first approach due to the aircraft traffic in the area. In diverting his attention to monitoring the traffic, he forgot to switch the fuel tank selection. As the airplane turned onto the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern, the engine began to sputter and subsequently experienced a total loss of power. The pilot switched to the other fuel tank in an attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. With the airplane's altitude decreasing, he decided to ditch in a lake to avoid a housing area. A postaccident inspection by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane incurred substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage; they found no evidence of preimpact mechanical anomalies. The pilot opined that the engine had a loss of power due to fuel starvation.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: ERA11CA018
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 5 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
13-Oct-2010 01:12 slowkid Added
13-Oct-2010 01:26 slowkid Updated [Aircraft type, Destination airport, Narrative]
21-Dec-2016 19:25 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
26-Nov-2017 18:35 ASN Update Bot Updated [Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]

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