Fuel Exhaustion & Starvation · NTSB ERA10LA422
TAYLORCRAFT BC12-D — Harrison, ME
| Date | August 14, 2010 |
| Location | Harrison, ME |
| Aircraft | TAYLORCRAFT BC12-D |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering Loss of engine power (total) |
| Pilot age | 68 |
| Pilot total time | 1,300 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid management - C
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Lack of action-Pilot - C
What happened
The pilot departed for the intended 2-hour flight with an inadequate supply of fuel resulting in fuel exhaustion. Witnesses reported hearing a sputtering engine followed by silence. While flying over a wooded area in controlled flight, the airplane collided with the tops of trees then nosed down and descended to the ground. Detailed inspection of the airplane's fuel supply system, which was not compromised, revealed a total of 4 ounces of fuel were drained from the entire airplane. Inspection of the main fuel tank fuel quantity indicator, which consisted of a cork mounted on a steel wire, revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Examination of the flight controls, engine, and engine systems also revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction.