Amateur-built LSX N17TS accident near Lago Vista, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning and improper in-flight decision making which resulted in a low fuel status and a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

NTSB analysis

While on a final approach for the runway, the pilot reported that the engine sputtered momentarily and then stopped running. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. Unable to make it to the runway, he performed a forced landing into dense trees and the airplane collided with terrain. The fuselage and left wing sustained substantial damage.

The pilot reported that after the accident he drained about 3 gallons of fuel from the fuel tank. However, the airplane was not examined until three days after the accident occurred, so this could not be verified. Three gallons of fuel in the tank would have placed the fuel just above the fuel inlet on the fuel tank.

The flight time for the flight was estimated over 3 hours and 30 minutes, not including a flight the day before the accident. The airplane would have consumed over 17.5 gallons of fuel from the estimated 25-gallon fuel tank on the day of the accident based on an estimated fuel burn rate of 5 gallons per hour.

After the accident, fuel was added, and the engine started without hesitation and ran at various power settings without any anomalies. It is likely that the low fuel state unported the fuel from the fuel inlet which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN23LA018 for the full record.