De Havilland DHC-1 N420TD accident near East Troy, Wisconsin

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the inaccurate fuel gauge.

NTSB analysis

The pilot stated that the left wing fuel tank contained 3 gallons and the right wing fuel tank contained 4 gallons of fuel before departing on the accident flight. The pilot said he determined the fuel quantities during the prefight from fuel quantity gauge indications and by looking into each fuel tank to see if it was wetted with fuel. The pilot departed, performed one touch-and-go landing, then flew about 3 miles west, where he performed two steep turns before returning to the airport. The pilot reported that, while on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, the left wing fuel quantity gauge indicated 2 gallons, the right wing fuel quantity gauge indicated 3 gallons. While on final approach for landing, about 250-300 ft above ground level (agl) the engine lost total power. The pilot switched fuel tanks, but the engine did not regain power. The pilot performed a forced landing about 300 to 400 ft short of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane.

Postaccident examination revealed that the left wing fuel tank was empty and the right tank contained about 1 ½ gal of fuel. No fuel was present at the carburetor jets or the fuel supply line to the carburetor. The lack of fuel in these locations is consistent with a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. It is likely that the engine could not be restarted immediately due to air within the fuel system. Testing of the left wing fuel tank quantity gauge found the gauge was inaccurate, likely due to the presence of corrosion within the gauge assembly. Examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded engine operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN25LA035 for the full record.