Wilhelm PUSLAR N332RP

Summary

On 18 April 2018 at about 15:30 local time, a Wilhelm PUSLAR registered N332RP was involved in an accident near Salton City, California, 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 April 2018 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Salton City, California, United States

Nearest airport

Salton Sea Airport (SAS)

Coordinates

33.2442, -115.9242

Aircraft

Wilhelm PUSLAR

Registration

N332RP

Category

Airplane

Year built

1999

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palm Springs → Palm Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR18TA122

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to perform the loss of engine power emergency procedures, which likely would have restored engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after about 30 minutes of flight, the engine suddenly lost total power. He attempted to start the engine several times; however, it would not sustain power. The pilot performed a forced landing to desert terrain, during which the airplane impacted a small berm, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. Examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector was positioned on the left fuel tank, which contained no fuel. The fuel quantity gauge indicated that the left fuel tank was empty, and the right fuel tank was about 1/4 full. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane and stated that if he had "read the checklist," he might have been able to restart the engine. It is likely that the pilot's mismanagement of the fuel during the flight resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.