Amateur-built I N118CV accident near Mount Sterling, Kentucky

Probable cause

The pilot’s mismanagement of the fuel selector, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.

NTSB analysis

The pilot departed his home airport, remained in the traffic pattern and performed "several" touch-and-go landings, flew about 20 miles to a nearby airport, returned to his home airport, and performed another takeoff. Shortly after takeoff, the engine stopped producing power while the propeller continued to "windmill." The pilot said that he rotated the fuel selector from the "main tank" to the "header tank" position and that he turned the electric fuel boost pump on, but engine power was not restored. The airplane struck trees and terrain during the forced landing and sustained substantial damage, and the pilot was seriously injured.

Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed that the two main and the header fuel tanks were compromised by impact, but continuity was confirmed through the entire fuel system with compressed air. The fuel selector was in the “Off” position and was immobilized in that position by impact damage. The pilot reported no deficiencies with the performance and handling of the airplane before the loss of engine power, and a postaccident engine run on the airframe revealed the engine started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption.

The pilot reported the airplane’s header tank contained 9 gallons of fuel and that the airplane averaged a fuel consumption rate of 8 gallons per hour. Based on the capacity of the header tank, the airplane’s fuel consumption rate, the as-found position of the fuel selector, and the successful postaccident engine run, it is likely the pilot inadvertently conducted the entire accident flight with the header tank selected, exhausted its fuel supply, then rotated the selector to the “Off” position after the engine lost power.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA20LA069 for the full record.