Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Waddy, Kentucky 40076
Tuesady, June 29, 2010 15:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) stated that he was the pilot-in-command and safety pilot because the other pilot had not flown in about eight months. Preflight inspection of the airplane revealed each fuel tank was half full, which was adequate for the planned one hour flight plus a reserve. After takeoff, the flight proceeded to another airport, where two uneventful touch-and-go practice takeoff and landings were performed. The pilots then elected to return to the original departure airstrip flying about 800 feet above ground level. During the return flight, the CFI noticed that the single fuel gauge, which only indicated fuel quantity from the selected tank, indicated less than one quarter tank of fuel remaining in the left tank. He then selected the right tank to supply the engine. The engine operated normally for less than a minute before beginning to sputter. The CFI immediately switched back to the left fuel tank, turned on the electric fuel pump, and applied carburetor heat. The engine regained power and the airplane began to climb, but the engine subsequently experienced a total loss of power. During the descent, the CFI switched to the right tank again. The engine did not regain power and the performed a forced landing to a grassy hill. During landing, the nose gear sheared and one wing incurred substantial damage. At the time of the airplane's wreckage recovery, no fuel was noted in the left tank and about eight gallons of fuel was drained from the right fuel tank; there was no breach of fuel lines or fuel tanks. The fuel strainer contained fuel; however, there was no fuel at the fuel selector valve located in the cockpit or in fuel lines from the fuel strainer to the engine. The CFI opined that the engine lost power due to the left tank becoming exhausted of fuel, which introduced air into the fuel supply system. A subsequent ground test indicated that with the electric pump on, the supply system should have been purged of air in about three seconds.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/29/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Waddy |
| Event State | KENTUCKY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 40076 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 380557N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0850123W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 850 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1553 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FFT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 806 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.03 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27602 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA LOU FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 14 2010 12:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kelz |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N601LP |
| NTSB Number | ERA10CA353 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | LAWWILL TED |
| Aircraft Model | ZODIAC 601XL |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 6-5230 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1320 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 8 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 161 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MTMOTORHOME LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 502 W SPRUCE ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | MISSOULA |
| Aircraft Owner State | MT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 59802-4004 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Brian Baker |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Louisville |
| Operator State | KY |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 40205 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FFT |
| Departure City | Frankfort |
| Departure State | KY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1520 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Waddy |
| Destination State | KY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 19 2010 1:36PM |
| User who most recently changed record | mont |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |