Nickle C R ACRO II N86RL

Summary

On 20 May 2024 at about 20:23 local time, a Nickle C R ACRO II registered N86RL was involved in an accident near Milford, New Jersey, United States. One person was on board and one 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

20 May 2024 at 20:23

Classification

Accident

Location

Milford, New Jersey, United States

Coordinates

40.5915, -75.1243

Aircraft

Nickle C R ACRO II

Registration

N86RL

Category

Airplane

Year built

1987

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Plymouth → Hedgesvile

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA225

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s lack of familiarity with the airplane’s fuel system, which resulted in a total 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 of the experimental amateur-built biplane stated that he had just purchased the airplane and intended to fly it to his home airport. Prior to the flight he asked the previous owner questions about the fuel indicator tube (a sight gauge indicating the fuel quantity) and noted that it had no markings. He subsequently departed for the planned the 2 hour and 12-minute flight with fuel tank completely filled with 26 gallons of fuel and assumed an 8 gallon per hour fuel consumption rate. About 1 hour and 15 minutes into the flight, the fuel sight gauge began showing a reduced fuel level in the tank, and indicated what the pilot though was 7/8 of a tank of fuel remaining. After flying 20 more minutes the fuel gauge indicated 1/2 tank of fuel, and after 15 more minutes of flying the fuel gauge was getting close to empty. He flew another 15 minutes and was about 10 minutes from his destination airport when the engine lost all power. He immediately looked for a place to make an emergency landing. He lined up on a field and landed smoothly. During the landing rollout, tall grass wrapped around the main landing gear and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the biplane’s top wing and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane and that the airplane ran out of fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.