Champion 7ECA N9581S accident near Beaufort, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning and preflight inspection, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, a total loss of engine power, and a forced landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he departed with 32 gallons of fuel onboard. About 2.5 hours after departure, the engine exhibited a momentary loss of power. He momentarily applied carburetor heat and noted that the fuel gauge indicated about one-quarter tank remaining. The power loss recurred several times before the engine lost power completely. The pilot was unable to restore engine power and performed a forced landing to a road. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.

No fuel was observed at the accident site, and no fuel was recovered from the airplane during recovery or the postaccident examination. With the right wing positioned to correspond to a level-flight position, the single fuel gauge indicated about 1/4 tank with no fuel present and about 1/2 tank when 5 gallons of fuel was added, which demonstrated that the gauge substantially over-indicated the actual fuel quantity.

The recorded temperature and dew point near the accident site was conducive to carburetor icing at glide and cruise power settings.

Additionally, an unsigned copy of the last annual inspection showed that the airplane’s tachometer time recorded at the last annual inspection was greater than the tachometer time observed during the postaccident examination. Therefore, the airplane’s recent operating history and the amount of fuel consumed before the accident flight could not be fully determined.

Fueling records showed that 25.1 gallons of fuel were added to the airplane on the day of the accident flight. While the pilot reported that the airplane departed with about 32 gallons of fuel onboard, the exact amount of fuel onboard at departure could not be verified. Based on data from the engine manufacturer’s operator’s manual, the engine would have consumed between 22 and 25 gallons of fuel for the 2.5-hour flight (not including fuel used for startup, taxi, takeoff, or climb). Given this information, fuel should have remained onboard if the departure fuel quantity reported by the pilot was accurate. However, no fuel was observed at the accident site or during the postaccident examination, and examination of the fuel system revealed no evidence of fuel leakage. Postaccident testing also demonstrated that the airplane’s single fuel quantity gauge substantially over indicated the actual fuel quantity. Although carburetor icing conditions existed and could have contributed to the reported intermittent power losses, the available evidence indicates it is most likely that the pilot’s assessment of the fuel quantity onboard before departure was likely inaccurate and the airplane subsequently exhausted its supply of fuel.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA24LA311 for the full record.