Edra Aeronautica SEASTAR N559AW

Summary

On 25 August 2007 at about 19:50 local time, a Edra Aeronautica SEASTAR registered N559AW was involved in an accident near Kapolei, Hawaii, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 August 2007 at 19:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Kapolei, Hawaii, United States

Nearest airport

Kalaeloa Airport (John Rogers) (PHJR)

Coordinates

21.3072, -158.0703

Aircraft

Edra Aeronautica SEASTAR

Registration

N559AW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kapolei → Kapolei

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX07LA253

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation that resulted from the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and failure to ensure that an adequate fuel supply was onboard the aircraft.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight was to be the airplane's first flight since completion. The pilot/builder reported that the departure roll was smooth and the controls felt normal. As the airplane reached about 30 feet above ground level (agl), the engine experienced a loss of power. The pilot configured the airplane in a nose-low attitude in an effort to prevent a stall. The airplane landed hard on the left main landing gear, which subsequently collapsed. The airplane skidded off the left side of the runway. The pilot stated that the wing fuel tanks were empty during departure, and that he had 6 gallons in the interior fuselage header fuel tank. The kit manufacturer advised that flight with the airplane in such a fuel system configuration is allowable. Following the accident, an FAA inspector examined the airplane and upon disassembly of the carburetor, found only a small amount of water (several drops) and trace amounts of fuel in the bowl. When fuel was plumbed to the engine, it was started and run with no anomalies noted. The inspector opined that the pilot failed to have an adequate supply of fuel onboard the airplane during departure, resulting in a fuel starvation event.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.