Brewer James M KR2 N216CB

Summary

On 7 January 2013 at about 22:30 local time, a Brewer James M KR2 registered N216CB, operated by David L. Styer, was involved in an accident near Bear Branch, Kentucky, 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

7 January 2013 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Bear Branch, Kentucky, United States

Coordinates

37.1706, -83.5819

Aircraft

Brewer James M KR2

Registration

N216CB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

David L. Styer

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Galion → Middlesboro

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ERA13CA107

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper preflight planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the fuel exhaustion was the pilot’s lack of knowledge about the airplane’s total fuel capacity and fuel quantity instrumentation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Before departure, the pilot/owner filled the fuel tank, adding 1 to 2 gallons of fuel. He expected a flight duration of about 2.5 hours and wanted to land at the destination airport before dark. The departure was delayed about 15 to 20 minutes due to a problem at the fuel facility. Because of the departure delay, the pilot kept the engine rpm at a higher setting and leaned the fuel-air mixture during the climb. During cruise flight, he leaned the fuel-to-air mixture using the onboard exhaust gas temperature gauge, then slightly enriched the mixture. He reported that the fuel quantity indicator installed on the instrument panel was working but that he was not entirely clear at what level the gauge indicated empty. While the pilot was in communication with Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and about 20 minutes from his destination airport, the engine suddenly quit. He checked the onboard GPS for the nearest airport, which was about 22 miles away. He declared an emergency with Indianapolis ARTCC and looked for a place to land, first noting a four-lane road with some traffic then observing a side road without traffic. He maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing on the side road and sideslipped the airplane. When committed for landing, he fully deployed the speedbrake because the airplane was high and fast. Before touchdown, he straightened the airplane and maneuvered to the right to avoid pedestrians on the left side of the road. While traveling about 20 to 30 mph, the right wingtip collided with a guy wire. The airplane veered to the right and the left main landing gear hit the road and a washout ditch, causing the gear to separate. The airplane slid, and the leading edge of a wing was damaged. During recovery of the airplane, no remaining fuel was observed in the fuel tank. The pilot considered whether fuel leaked from the fuel strainer or fuel cap but reported that he did not see evidence of a leak. He stated that he believed the airplane’s fuel capacity was 15 gallons, which he used for his preflight planning; however, he noted postaccident that the fuel cap indicated a fuel capacity of 13 gallons. Given that there was less fuel on board than the pilot believed, the higher-than-normal engine rpm setting during the climb, and the lack of fuel postaccident, the evidence is consistent with exhaustion of the airplane’s fuel supply.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.