Headrick VANS RV9A N3086J

Summary

On 7 August 2004 at about 22:00 local time, a Headrick VANS RV9A registered N3086J was involved in an accident near Westport, Washington, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 August 2004 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Westport, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Westport Airport (14S)

Coordinates

46.8972, -124.1006

Aircraft

Headrick VANS RV9A

Registration

N3086J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Eugene → Westport

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA04LA157

1 person was seriously injured.

Fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's improper fuel management. Carburetor icing conditions and trees were a factor.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he departed from his departure point with about 28 gallons of fuel. About 30 miles out from landing at his destination, the pilot noted that the fuel gage for the right tank (tank selected) was indicating about 2.5 gallons of fuel. When the flight reached the airport, the pilot flew a low downwind to check out the sand bar north of the airport as he and his passenger were planning on fishing in that area. The pilot then turned back to the airport and set-up for a landing on runway 30. The pilot reported that while on downwind, the engine started running rough, the rpm decreased, and the engine subsequently quit. The pilot initiated a forced landing just short of the runway. During the descent, the aircraft collided with trees and the ground. The pilot further stated that carburetor icing conditions were present in the area, however, he had not been utilizing carburetor heat prior to the loss of power. Inspection of the wreckage found that the right fuel tank was empty of fuel, while the left fuel tank still contained 15 gallons. The pilot reported that he had been operating off of the right fuel tank at the time of the loss of power. Inspection of the engine noted that the primer lines, fuel outlet line from the fuel pump and the carburetor bowl were void of fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.