Flight CTSW N460CT

Summary

On 21 June 2008 at about 21:13 local time, a Flight CTSW registered N460CT was involved in an accident near Von Ormy, Texas, United States. 2 people were 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

21 June 2008 at 21:13

Classification

Accident

Location

Von Ormy, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.4800, -98.4464

Aircraft

Flight CTSW

Registration

N460CT

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Castorville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN08LA109

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate in-flight decision by failing to refuel while en route, resulting in fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident were a proper touchdown point was not possible and the inadequate display of the fuel quantity indicator.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

As the pilot was being radar vectored through controlled airspace, the engine began to sputter and then it "stopped." The pilot was unable to restart the engine, so he moved the propeller to the horizontal position "to protect the engine during touchdown." He selected a "good field" in level pastureland for the forced landing. After turning onto the base leg, he noticed a number of horses grazing at the beginning of the field and he turned on final approach sooner than intended. This moved his touchdown point further downfield than he wanted. Indicated airspeed was 50 mph in the flare. He lowered the flaps to 40 degrees. As soon as he cleared the horses, he retracted the flaps to "increase the friction of the brakes on the grassy pasture surface. This made the pasture a little short" and the airplane overran the end and struck a wire fence, collapsing the nose gear and buckling the composite structure. The pilot admitted that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion "which could have been avoided by obtaining fuel at the last stop." He said the airplane was not equipped with in-flight readable fuel indicators, only a dipstick gauge, and this makes it "tricky to utilize the full 34 gallon capacity." He concluded that "an accurate fuel gauge and experience with timing and fuel usage at a certain RPM would have solved this fuel management problem." He recommended that "the fuel indicator tubes in the wing roots be changed at every annual inspection."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.