Amateur-built SE5-A N93725 accident near Seymour, Indiana

Probable cause

A loss of engine power during initial climb due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's diverted attention while attempting to restart the engine.

NTSB analysis

The accident occurred during a test flight after the airplane had been repaired from a previous accident. The experimental amateur-built airplane was a reproduction of a WWI British bi-wing fighter that was in production from 1916-1918. The pilot noted that the purpose of the flight was to obtain airborne fuel burn data and to further calibrate the airplane's electric fuel quantity gauge. The airplane's fuel tanks had been filled and drained several times during the pilot's previous attempts to calibrate the fuel quantity gauge. The pilot noted that the last time the airplane had been serviced with fuel was 5 days before the accident. He stated that while on initial climb from runway 14, a 5,502-foot-long by 100-foot-wide, about 60 feet above the ground, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot reported that the airplane stalled as he attempted to restart the engine. The airplane impacted terrain about 60 feet west of the runway, approximately 2/3 down the length of the runway. The right upper and lower wings, the left lower wing, and the forward fuselage primary structure were substantially damaged. A postaccident inspection found no evidence of any usable fuel in the airplane's four fuel tanks. Additionally, there was no evidence of a fuel spill at the accident site. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane or its engine. He also stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had focused on landing the airplane on the remaining runway, instead of attempting to restart the engine.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN10CA441 for the full record.