Airglades Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Clewiston, Florida 33440
Thursday, May 9, 2013 15:10 EDT

The private pilot/owner of the airplane and a flight instructor departed on a 90-minute flight, which included multiple practice takeoffs and landings at three different airports. When the airplane was at an altitude of about 2,000 feet mean sea level, it experienced a loss of engine power. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane and noted that the right fuel tank gauge indicated “empty” and that the left fuel tank gauge indicated 25 percent full. He performed the “engine-out” emergency procedures; however, the engine continued to lose power, and he subsequently conducted a forced landing to a grass field. Postaccident examination of the airplane, which included an engine test run, did not reveal any preimpact malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Both fuel tanks were found intact. The right fuel tank was empty, and the left fuel tank contained about 7 gallons of uncontaminated fuel, which was only 2 gallons more than the reported usable fuel. The flight instructor stated that the engine continued to operate at low power during the forced landing; however, the lack of rotational damage on the propeller assembly was consistent with a total loss of engine power. Although the reported temperature and dew point about the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of carburetor icing at cruise power, given the low fuel state at the time of the power loss, it was more likely that the engine lost power due to fuel starvation.

The private pilot’s inadequate preflight planning and fuel management and the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.