Champion 7GC N4831E accident near Palmer, Alaska

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and failure to assess the airplane’s fuel quantity before departure, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot of the single-engine airplane, shortly after takeoff and about 500 ft above ground level, the engine lost power. He reported that he attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. The pilot made a forced landing in a hay field; the airplane landed hard and struck a telephone pole.

The pilot reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI) that he did not preflight the airplane or check the fuel level before departure and that there should have been fuel in the tanks from the last flight in June 2016, 3 months before the accident.

The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Investigator-In-Charge (IIC) who received the initial notification that "he ran the airplane out of gas." He further reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have prevented normal operation.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings.

The NTSB IIC attempted to contact the pilot on multiple occasions but was informed by the FAA ASI that the pilot was out of the country for the winter.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA16CA486 for the full record.