Amateur-built SONEX N97GR accident near Jesup, Georgia

Probable cause

The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot had recently purchased the accident airplane and was planning a cross-country flight to an airport several hours away. Before departing, the pilot flew around the airport traffic pattern with the airplane's previous owner and received a briefing from the previous owner about its operation, fuel consumption, and endurance. Specifically, the previous owner advised him that he typically used 2 hours as a maximum flight leg time; the airplane had a 16-gallon fuel capacity and consumed about 6 gallons of fuel per hour, so a 2-hour flight leg would leave about 4 gallons of fuel remaining for about a 30-minute reserve. The previous owner advised the pilot that they had already used some fuel and that he likely would not have enough fuel to reach his intended destination airport, which was about 2 flight hours away, with an adequate fuel reserve. The pilot stated that he would look for a fuel stop before his intended destination and departed. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain while maneuvering in the vicinity of a runway at an airport just off the direct course between the departure airport and the intended destination airport. The airplane had been airborne for about 2 hours 26 minutes. Examination of the airplane at the accident site revealed that the fuel system was intact and absent of fuel. Further examination of the airplane's engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Given this information, it is likely that the pilot had exhausted the airplane's fuel supply, which resulted in a total loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing while attempting to reach the runway at the intermediate airport.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA16LA151 for the full record.