Fairchild(Howard) M 62C(PT-23A) N64176

Summary

On 28 May 2018 at about 17:10 local time, a Fairchild(Howard) M 62C(PT-23A) registered N64176, operated by American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum, was involved in an accident near Wichita, Kansas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

28 May 2018 at 17:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Wichita, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Westport (71K)

Coordinates

37.6517, -97.3839

Aircraft

Fairchild(Howard) M 62C(PT-23A)

Registration

N64176

Category

Airplane

Year built

1943

Engines

1

Operator

American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wichita → Wichita

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA197

2 people had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot’s miscalculation of the fuel consumption rate during preflight planning.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that he filled the airplane with fuel 5 days before the accident flight. He had not flown the airplane in the intervening 5 days, and the fuel indicators were still showing that the tanks were full before the accident flight. The pilot calculated that there should have been sufficient fuel onboard for a 3-hour 15-minute-long flight. The pilot was performing flyovers at five cemeteries, which required flying holding orbits at three of the cemeteries and two passes at the other two cemeteries. He then flew back toward the departure airport to land. When the airplane was about 5 minutes from the airport, he switched fuel tanks to what appeared to be the fullest tank. He reported that the fuel level in both fuel tanks was low but that the fuel quantity indicators were showing above “E.” While on final approach, between 150 and 200 ft above the ground, the engine lost total power. He switched fuel tanks and started using the manual pump, and the engine regained power for 1 to 2 seconds before losing power again. He subsequently conducted an off-airport, forced landing in a lot about 1/8 mile from the end of the runway. The airplane touched down hard and bounced, and the right wing hit a pole. The airplane then impacted a fence and another pole before coming to rest. The pilot used a flight tracker program, and it showed that the flight was only 2 hours 41 minutes long. Postaccident examination of the accident site found no fuel spillage. Examination of the airplane revealed that each fuel tank contained about 1/2 cup of fuel. About a teaspoon of fuel was recovered from the engine strainer bowl. Although the pilot thought there was sufficient fuel onboard the airplane for the flight, given the evidence, it is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion because the pilot miscalculated the fuel consumption rate during preflight planning.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.