Fort Worth, TX, USA
N487J
Pitts S2
The pilot reported that, during his preflight inspection, he determined that the fuel tank was about 1/2 full (12 gallons). After the airplane departed the airport and reached about 1,300 ft above ground level, the engine lost all power. The pilot turned back to the airport and chose a field for a forced landing. The airplane landed hard, the landing gear collapsed, and the airplane then flipped over and came to rest upside down, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tank contained about 1 gallon of fuel. Following the accident, the pilot stated that he realized he had misread the fuel gauge and that there were only about 3 gallons of fuel onboard at takeoff. Based on this information, it is likely the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion.
The pilot reported that during his preflight inspection, he perceived the fuel tank was about half full of fuel. After the airplane departed the airport and reached about 1,300 ft above ground level, the engine lost all power. The pilot turned back to the airport and selected a field for a forced landing, but realized the airplane was not able to glide to that field and so he selected a closer field. The airplane landed hard and nosed over, which damaged the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed the fuel tank contained about 1 gallon of fuel. Following the accident, the pilot stated he misread the fuel gauge.
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the fuel level, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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