Schrieber Robert L P 70 N567CM

Summary

On 8 June 2014 at about 16:30 local time, a Schrieber Robert L P 70 registered N567CM was involved in an accident near Great Bend, Kansas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 June 2014 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Great Bend, Kansas, United States

Coordinates

38.4689, -98.8350

Aircraft

Schrieber Robert L P 70

Registration

N567CM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1997

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Great Bend → Great Bend

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14FA288

2 people died.

The pilot's improper preflight planning, which led to a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's loss of airplane control during the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was conducting a local personal flight. An employee of the fixed-based operator reported that, before takeoff, the pilot topped off the airplane's 18-gallon fuel tank. A witness reported hearing the airplane approach his residence from the north about 2 hours later. The witness said he saw the airplane come out of a cloud bank and that it looked like it was trying to climb at a 45-degree angle. He subsequently saw it in a 45-degree, nose-down pitch angle descending toward the ground. The airplane impacted in a corn field located 6 miles north of pilot's home airport. The witness said the engine sounded "weak as if it had no power" and that, as the airplane was descending, the pilot "was trying to pull up."  An examination of the airplane at the accident site showed that the airplane impacted the ground in a nose-down, steep descent. Flight control continuity was confirmed. Both of the propeller blades were broken at the hub and showed no signs of driving power. An examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have prevented it from producing power.  The airplane's fuel tank could hold 18.06 gallons of fuel. The engine manufacturer estimated that the engine's fuel consumption rate at a normal power setting was between 10.5 and 11 gallons per hour; therefore, the airplane would have been able to fly for 1 hour 42 minutes. It is likely that the pilot did not properly plan for the flight, which was longer than allowed by the airplane's total fuel quantity and resulted in loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. During the subsequent forced landing to the field, the pilot lost airplane control.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.