Summary
On September 09, 2010, a Robertson VELOCITY (N112TH) was involved in an accident near Wooster, OH. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel planning.
The pilot reported that prior to departure, the fuel system sight gages indicated he had over 25 gallons of fuel on board. The pilot did not visually check the fuel level in the tanks. Upon reaching his destination, the pilot made a low approach over the runway, climbed, and flew to an area about 5 miles from the airport to wait for another airplane to land ahead of him. The pilot reported the engine then lost power and he began a glide back toward the airport. Realizing he was not going to be able to reach the airport, he chose a field in which to land. According to the pilot, the airplane stalled just prior to touching down resulting in substantial damage to the wings and empennage.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN10CA532. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N112TH.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel planning.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported that prior to departure, the fuel system sight gages indicated he had over 25 gallons of fuel on board. The pilot did not visually check the fuel level in the tanks. Upon reaching his destination, the pilot made a low approach over the runway, climbed, and flew to an area about 5 miles from the airport to wait for another airplane to land ahead of him. The pilot reported the engine then lost power and he began a glide back toward the airport. Realizing he was not going to be able to reach the airport, he chose a field in which to land. According to the pilot, the airplane stalled just prior to touching down resulting in substantial damage to the wings and empennage. Post accident inspection of the airplane revealed the fuel tanks were intact and there was no fuel present either in the tanks or on the ground around the wreckage.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN10CA532