Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2004 BRAVO N649BV

Summary

On 10 October 2009 at about 20:45 local time, a Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2004 BRAVO registered N649BV, operated by Sterling Flight LLC, was involved in an accident near Franklin, California, 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

10 October 2009 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Franklin, California, United States

Nearest airport

Franklin Field Airport (F72)

Coordinates

38.3033, -121.4292

Aircraft

Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2004 BRAVO

Registration

N649BV

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Sterling Flight LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Concord → Franklin

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10LA014

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, as a result of the certified flight instructor's improper fuel system management.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While the student pilot was performing a touch-and-go takeoff and landing, the engine sputtered and lost power about 150 feet above ground level. The certified flight instructor (CFI) took the flight controls and continued the flight straight ahead for a forced landing to an open field. The CFI indicated that the field was rough, and during the landing roll, when the nose landing gear contacted the ground, it snapped off, and the airplane nosed over coming to rest inverted. After the accident, the CFI exited the airplane and instructed the student to turn off all the electronics, the fuel, and the ignition. The student said he attempted to turn off the pilot's side fuel selector, but found that it was already in the off position; the copilot's fuel selector was in the on position, so he turned that off before he departed the airplane. The CFI and the student pilot recalled that the left side fuel selector was turned off during the flight to the destination airport in order to balance the fuel load. Before landing, the CFI likely turned the fuel selector to the “off” position rather than the “both” position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.