Blue Oak CCK-1865 N14CK

Summary

On 20 August 2018 at about 23:30 local time, a Blue Oak CCK-1865 registered N14CK was involved in an accident near Deadwood, California, 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

20 August 2018 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Deadwood, California, United States

Coordinates

38.0103, -120.0311

Aircraft

Blue Oak CCK-1865

Registration

N14CK

Category

Airplane

Year built

2017

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Columbia → Columbia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR18LA233

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot's failure to ensure that the left-wing fuel cap was secure before flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to monitor fuel levels while in flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After completing routine maintenance on the experimental, amateur-built airplane, the private pilot decided to conduct a test flight near the departure airport. He completed a preflight inspection, a ground engine run, and taxi checks, which were normal; he noted that about 12 gallons of fuel was onboard the airplane. About 10 minutes after departure, he chose to extend the flight, as he did not observe any anomalies with the airplane. After an uneventful period of flight, the airplane was about 500 ft above ground level over mountain ridge tops when the engine lost partial power. The pilot maintained level flight and maneuvered the airplane toward more favorable terrain before the engine lost total power. Subsequently, the pilot performed a forced landing in a small clearing within heavily wooded mountainous terrain. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a tree and came to rest upright. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preexisting mechanical malfunctions or failures with the engine or fuel system, including the fuel quantity sight gauges, that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, after the accident, he noticed that the left-wing fuel cap was not fully secured. Wreckage recovery company personnel indicated that the right-wing fuel tank was void of fuel, and the left-wing fuel tank contained about 1/2 gallon of fuel. Review of a photograph provided by the wreckage recovery company taken 10 days after the accident revealed a small amount of residue and discoloration directly aft of the left-wing fuel filler neck, extending to the trailing edge of the fuel tank cover. It is likely that fuel vented through the loose fuel cap in flight, which reduced fuel quantity and led to the subsequent loss of engine power. Further, the pilot failed to adequately monitor the fuel quantity sight gauges while in flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.