Accident HILLYER XL-RG C-FPDL,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 22964
 
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Date:Wednesday 30 January 2002
Time:13:40
Type:HILLYER XL-RG
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: C-FPDL
MSN: 3RX-031
Total airframe hrs:35 hours
Engine model:Lycoming LTP101-600-A1
Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:San Diego, CA -   United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature:Private
Departure airport:San Diego, CA (MYF)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot of the amateur built, experimental airplane, contacted the military tower and said: "... tower this is Canadian papa delta lima with an emergency we've uh run out of fuel." The tower controller gave the pilot the altimeter setting and surface wind and clearance to land on the runway nearest the pilot's position. There was a subsequent conversation between the tower and the pilot a few seconds later regarding the arresting gear in place on the runway during which the pilot said: "we're just hoping we make the runway." The tower controller approved landing on the taxiway. The airplane subsequently impacted an embankment about 200 feet short of the runway threshold in an open, grassy area. An FAA inspector responded to the scene and reported finding only a small amount of fuel (less than 1 quart) in the aircraft. The fuel tanks were not breached. The builder of the airplane said it was equipped with a fuel totalizer system that used capacitance type fuel quantity sensors and had been carefully calibrated and was quite accurate. Prior to the accident flight, the builder said that he observed the pilot use a plain, uncalibrated stick of wood to measure the fuel quantity during his preflight inspection of the aircraft. No fuel was added. He thought it odd that the pilot used the same, moistened, end of the same stick to measure the quantity in the second tank. The pilot commented they wouldn't be out very long, maybe 1 hour.

Probable Cause: The pilot's improper in-flight planning and decision making, which resulted in exhaustion of the airplane's fuel supply and loss of engine power.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX02LA072
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20020201X00161&key=1

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
27-Sep-2008 01:00 ASN archive Added
07-Dec-2010 13:14 slowkid Updated [Registration, Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Source]
21-Dec-2016 19:14 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
21-Dec-2016 19:16 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
21-Dec-2016 19:20 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
09-Dec-2017 15:23 ASN Update Bot Updated [Cn, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]

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