Stinson 108-3 N528C accident near Palmetto, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB analysis

Before the accident flight, the pilot added 4 gallons of automotive fuel from a gas can to the airplane and planned to fly to another airport to obtain fuel, as none was available at the departure airport. Upon reaching the destination airport, the pilot attempted to land, but then performed a go-around due to the wind conditions. While on the base leg of the traffic pattern for the second landing approach, the engine lost power completely. The pilot then performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane’s landing gear struck an irrigation ditch and it nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing struts, the tail, and the forward fuselage.

Following the accident, the pilot reported that when the airplane was being recovered from the field, only a trace amount of fuel could be drained from the fuel tanks. The pilot also stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that the airplane was, “…obviously out of fuel.”

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA26LA108 for the full record.