Long Charles Jackson AVID FLYER N3HH

Summary

On 3 August 2023 at about 18:26 local time, a Long Charles Jackson AVID FLYER registered N3HH was involved in an accident near Wetumpka, Alabama, 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

3 August 2023 at 18:26

Classification

Accident

Location

Wetumpka, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

32.5437, -86.2119

Aircraft

Long Charles Jackson AVID FLYER

Registration

N3HH

Category

Airplane

Year built

1993

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dawson → Wetumpka

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA325

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion because of a leaking fuel drain valve.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was flying his experimental airplane from Florida to Alabama. The airplane was equipped with a 15-gallon fuel tank and the engine consumed about 4.5 gallons of fuel per hour. The pilot said he departed with full fuel and then made 4 fuel stops along the route, stopping about every 70 to 90 minutes. At each stop he filled the fuel tank. On his last fuel stop, after he filled the fuel tank, he took a sample of fuel from the tank’s fuel drain valve to check for water and noticed a few drips of fuel coming from the valve, but no major leaks. The pilot then departed on his final leg of the trip. About 90 minutes into the flight, the engine stopped producing power, and the pilot noted that the fuel sight tube was completely empty. The pilot made a forced landing, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the fuel tank was intact and empty. No other breaches in the fuel system were observed; however, blue staining was noted around the fuel sump-valve consistent with it having been leaking. Fuel staining was also observed on the right flaperon. The pilot said the fuel valve was leaking a few months before the accident, but he fixed it and had not had another problem with the drain valve until the accident flight. Based on this information, it is likely that fuel leaking from the drain valve decreased the amount of fuel available over the duration of the accident flight, ultimately resulting in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent total loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.