Summary
On April 10, 2020, a Pitts S2 (N487J) was involved in an accident near Fort Worth, TX. The accident resulted in 2 minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the fuel level, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
The pilot reported that during his preflight inspection, he perceived the fuel tank was about half full of fuel. After the airplane departed the airport and reached about 1,300 ft above ground level, the engine lost all power. The pilot turned back to the airport and selected a field for a forced landing, but realized the airplane was not able to glide to that field and so he selected a closer field. The airplane landed hard and nosed over, which damaged the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed the fuel tank contained about 1 gallon of fuel. Following the accident, the pilot stated he misread the fuel gauge.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN20CA146. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N487J.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the fuel level, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported that during his preflight inspection, he perceived the fuel tank was about half full of fuel. After the airplane departed the airport and reached about 1,300 ft above ground level, the engine lost all power. The pilot turned back to the airport and selected a field for a forced landing, but realized the airplane was not able to glide to that field and so he selected a closer field. The airplane landed hard and nosed over, which damaged the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed the fuel tank contained about 1 gallon of fuel. Following the accident, the pilot stated he misread the fuel gauge.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN20CA146