Tomlinson Tracy L TUKAN N907T

Summary

On 18 January 2018 at about 23:05 local time, a Tomlinson Tracy L TUKAN registered N907T was involved in an accident near Erie, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 January 2018 at 23:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Erie, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Erie Municipal (EIK)

Coordinates

40.0103, -105.0481

Aircraft

Tomlinson Tracy L TUKAN

Registration

N907T

Year built

2000

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Erie → Erie

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA080

1 person had minor injuries.

The student pilot’s inadvertent shutting off of the fuel valve while on approach, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and student pilot conducted seven takeoffs and landings on a dual instructional flight in the weight-shift-controlled aircraft. The aircraft was operating normally. After the dual instruction, the aircraft was taxied back to a hangar, where the instructor explained single-pilot operations to the student. The student pilot then took off solo. The instructor observed that the student pilot seemed to lose control on his first final approach and executed a go-around. On the second approach, the instructor observed the aircraft on final; it collided with trees and the wing struck the ground, which resulted in substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the aircraft did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot indicated that, while securing the aircraft after the accident, he realized that he had inadvertently shut off the fuel valve while on the downwind leg instead of activating the carburetor heat. He stated that the two systems had similar push/pull control knobs that were positioned next to each other in the cockpit.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.