Fuel Exhaustion & Starvation · NTSB CEN12LA336
BELLANCA 8GCBC — Zahl, ND
| Date | June 4, 2012 |
| Location | Zahl, ND |
| Aircraft | BELLANCA 8GCBC |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-low-alt flying Fuel exhaustion |
| Pilot age | 33 |
| Pilot total time | Unknown |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
The non-certificated pilot's improper preflight planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and his failure to maintain airplane control after a total loss of engine power.
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Flight planning/navigation-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid level - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Experience/qualifications-Qualification/certification-Pilot
What happened
The airplane was maneuvering at a low altitude when it experienced a loss of engine power and impacted terrain during an uncontrolled descent. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that there was no fuel onboard. The airplane had not been properly registered. The pilot did not hold a pilot certificate or an airman medical certificate.