Shell Lake, WI, USA
N333GE
Efaw Casutt Sport Racer
A witness reported that the airplane's engine was "sputtering" and saw the airplane execute a forced landing to an open field. The first responder to the scene reported that there was no fuel in the fuel tank and there was not a strong smell of fuel at the accident site. The first responder reported that the fuel tank had to be removed in order to remove the pilot and no fuel was drained from it. No anomalies were found with the airplane or its engine that could be associated with any pre-impact condition.
On August 3, 2001, at 2030 central daylight time, an Efaw Cassutt Sport Racer, N333GE, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing while performing a forced landing near Shell Lake, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The flight's origin and intended destination were not reported. A witness reported that the airplane's engine was "sputtering" and saw the airplane execute a forced landing to an open field. An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sent a certified letter, including NTSB Form 6120.1/2, to the pilot on August 20, 2001, and a signed receipt for the letter was obtained. NTSB Form 6120.1/2 was never returned to the NTSB or FAA. The NTSB Investigator-In-Charge (IIC) sent a letter, including NTSB Form 6120.1/2, to the pilot on January 16, 2002, and the letter was returned undeliverable and unopened by the United States Postal Service. An FAA inspector performed the post-accident inspection of the airplane and its engine. Engine crankshaft continuity was established by rotating the engine by means of the propeller. There was compression on all cylinders when the engine was rotated. Both magnetos provided spark on all leads when the engine was rotated. There was approximately two tablespoons of fuel in the carburetor fuel bowl. The gascolator was torn from the aircraft structure and had a trace amount of fuel within it. The throttle and mixture cables moved without any binding and were connected to the carburetor. No anomalies were found with the airplane or its engine that could be associated with any pre-impact condition. The first responder to the scene, who was also a certificated pilot, reported that there was no fuel in the fuel tank and there was not a strong smell of fuel at the accident site. The first responder reported that the fuel tank had to be removed in order to remove the pilot and no fuel was drained from it.
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and the misjudged flare that resulted in a hard landing. A factor to the accident was the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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