Amateur-built Sport N418RB accident near Ledgedale, Pennsylvania

Probable cause

The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff, which resulted a nose-over. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper in-flight fuel management, which resulted in the precautionary landing on unsuitable terrain.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, before the flight, he added 4.5 gallons of fuel to the 12-gallon fuel tank and that, while flying at a high-density altitude, "it never occurred to…[him to] monitor fuel consumption for the 80-mile flight." About 1 hour 25 minutes into the flight, the engine sputtered, and the pilot made an emergency landing in a field. He then obtained fuel and added it to the airplane and subsequently attempted to take off, but after the airplane climbed about 2 ft, the landing gear entered tall grass, which got caught on the main landing gear wheels. The airplane then abruptly stopped and flipped over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA19CA361 for the full record.