Fuel Exhaustion & Starvation · NTSB ANC19FA021
Bradshaw / McCauley Giles G-202 — Wasilla, AK
| Date | May 30, 2019 |
| Location | Wasilla, AK |
| Aircraft | Bradshaw / McCauley Giles G-202 (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Takeoff Fuel starvation |
| Pilot age | 61 |
| Pilot total time | 14,655 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel additive-Fluid condition - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Fuel system-Fuel pumps-Failure - C
What happened
During the airplane's takeoff roll, two witnesses reported that the engine sounded unusual; the airplane became airborne and flew in ground effect until it reached the end of the runway and then pitched up abruptly. As the airplane reached about 500 feet agl, the engine sputtered and the airplane made a hard-left turn and pitched down. After the loss of engine power, the pilot likely initiated a return to the runway environment, during which the airplane impacted terrain. The airplane was heard regaining power as it descended below the tree line, just prior to impacting the ground.
In a postaccident examination, the electric fuel pump was found seized with contaminants inside the internal fuel passages.
The contaminants were determined to be consistent with a mixture of fuel additives such as anti-static and anti-corrosion additives. It is likely that, during the takeoff, the electric fuel pump seized due to the fuel contamination and restricted fuel flow to the engine. The engine then experienced a degree of fuel starvation which resulted in reduced engine power.