Fuel exhaustion Accident RAF SE-5A (Replica, built by Wolseley Motors Inc N93725,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 75960
 
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Date:Tuesday 27 July 2010
Time:08:50
Type:RAF SE-5A (Replica, built by Wolseley Motors Inc
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N93725
MSN: 0852 T
Total airframe hrs:5 hours
Engine model:General Motors LS-1
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Freeman Municipal Airport (KSER), Seymour, IN -   United States of America
Phase: Take off
Nature:Test
Departure airport:Seymour, IN (KSER)
Destination airport:Seymour, IN (KSER)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The accident occurred during a test flight after the airplane had been repaired from a previous accident. The experimental amateur-built airplane was a reproduction of a WWI British bi-wing fighter that was in production from 1916-1918. The pilot noted that the purpose of the flight was to obtain airborne fuel burn data and to further calibrate the airplane's electric fuel quantity gauge. The airplane's fuel tanks had been filled and drained several times during the pilot's previous attempts to calibrate the fuel quantity gauge. The pilot noted that the last time the airplane had been serviced with fuel was 5 days before the accident. He stated that while on initial climb from runway 14, a 5,502-foot-long by 100-foot-wide, about 60 feet above the ground, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot reported that the airplane stalled as he attempted to restart the engine. The airplane impacted terrain about 60 feet west of the runway, approximately 2/3 down the length of the runway. The right upper and lower wings, the left lower wing, and the forward fuselage primary structure were substantially damaged. A postaccident inspection found no evidence of any usable fuel in the airplane's four fuel tanks. Additionally, there was no evidence of a fuel spill at the accident site. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane or its engine. He also stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had focused on landing the airplane on the remaining runway, instead of attempting to restart the engine.
Probable Cause: A loss of engine power during initial climb due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's diverted attention while attempting to restart the engine.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CEN10CA441
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 4 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
23 June 2008 N93725 0 Seymour, Indiana sub
Loss of control

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
29-Jul-2010 07:23 GhostAirfields Added
29-Jul-2010 08:28 RobertMB Updated [Date, Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Location, Damage]
21-Dec-2016 19:25 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
26-Nov-2017 17:58 ASN Update Bot Updated [Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]

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