Aviat Inc A-1 N49363 accident near Rolla, North Dakota

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to secure the right wing's fuel cap before the flight and to properly manage the available fuel supply during the flight, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB analysis

The pilot stated that he self-fueled the airplane with 40 gallons of fuel before the cross-country flight. About 10 miles from his destination airport, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot made a forced landing to a field and flipped over. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the right wing's fuel cap was missing and could not be located. The top of the wing area around the fuel cap and back toward the trailing edge was stained blue, which was consistent with fuel venting overboard. Examination of the left wing fuel tank revealed it was empty of fuel and less than 1 cup of fuel was drained from the right wing fuel tank. No mechanical malfunctions or anomalies were noted with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12LA587 for the full record.