Thatcher CX4 N7555X
24 April 2023 · West Palm Beach, Florida, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 24 April 2023 at about 14:30 local time, a Thatcher CX4 registered N7555X was involved in an accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- West Palm Beach, Florida, United States
- Coordinates
- 26.6586, -80.1942
- Aircraft
- Thatcher CX4
- Registration
- N7555X
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Marion County → West Palm Beach
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA23LA206
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was flying the airplane on a cross-country flight, and reported that while approaching the destination airport the engine lost power during the final descent. The airplane subsequently collided with trees during a forced landing to a golf course. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the automotive conversion engine were noted during the postaccident examination. The examination also showed that the airplane’s fuel tank was intact and was void of fuel. Additionally, while the engine was separated from the firewall (thus compromising the integrity of the fuel system), there were no indications of fuel spillage around the airplane during the on-scene examination. While the pilot stated that he had fuel the airplane during a fuel stop near the mid-point of the planned route he did not provide any of the requested fueling records, and therefore the airplane’s fuel state prior to the flight leg could not be confirmed. Based on the available information, it is most likely that the loss of engine power was the result of fuel exhaustion due to the pilot’s inadequate fuel planning.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Thatcher CX4 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Apr 2024 | Thatcher CX4 | Rowley, Utah, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Sep 2021 | Thatcher CX4 | Marshalltown, Iowa, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Jun 2020 | Thatcher CX4 | Upland, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Aug 2023 | Jamros Robert L Jr CHALLENGER II | Port Orange, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 May 2023 | Robinson R44 II | Bradenton, Florida, United States | Registration Pending | No injuries | - |
| 14 Mar 2023 | Beechcraft 35-B33 | Scottsmoor, Florida, United States | Honour Aviation LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 31 Jan 2023 | Green Richard H VAN'S RV7A | Williston, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Nov 2023 | Lancair 235 | Stuart, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jan 2023 | Cessna 172N | Opa-locka, Florida, United States | Skyduo Flight Academy LLC. | No injuries | - |