Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Western Carolina Rgnl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Andrews, North Carolina 28901
Thursday, July 10, 2014 11:45 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that he departed the airport on a local flight in an experimental amateur built category airplane. After reaching about 100 feet above ground level and about 0.5 nautical miles from the departure end of the runway, the engine "sputtered" and subsequently lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing to a field located directly in front of the airplane. During the landing, the airplane impacted the ground, the main landing gear splayed, and the airplane skidded about 40 feet before coming to rest nose down in a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported no preexisting mechanical failures or anomalies, but during a postaccident examination of the airplane he discovered that he had failed to open the fuel tank valves prior to the flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to open the fuel tank valves during the preflight examination of the airplane, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/10/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1145 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Andrews |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28901 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 351113N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0835235W |
| Event Location Airport | WESTERN CAROLINA RGNL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RHP |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 268 |
| Airport Elevation | 1699 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1155 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RHP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1699 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| 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) | 30.14 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KRHP 101555Z AUTO 29006KT 10SM CLR 25/21 A30 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 33006 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 20 2014 11:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N39ZT |
| NTSB Number | ERA14CA349 |
| 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 | PEKOLA JAMES W |
| Aircraft Model | RIDGE RUNNER III |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 02030388 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 990 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 177 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SARVIS THOMAS WESLEY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | MARBLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 289050286 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | SARVIS THOMAS WESLEY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | MARBLE |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 289050286 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | RHP |
| Departure City | ANDREWS |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | RHP |
| Destination City | ANDREWS |
| Destination State | NC |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 20 2014 11:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 26 |
| Runway Length | 5500 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |