North American T28 N28CU

Summary

On 20 June 2019 at about 19:00 local time, a North American T28 registered N28CU was involved in an accident near Hollister, 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

20 June 2019 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Hollister, California, United States

Nearest airport

Hollister Muni (CVH)

Coordinates

36.8933, -121.4103

Aircraft

North American T28

Registration

N28CU

Category

Airplane

Year built

1956

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hollister → Hollister

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA426

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent total loss of 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 takeoff and while the airplane was about 500 ft above ground level, he retracted the landing gear and that, shortly thereafter, the engine sputtered and lost power. He adjusted the fuel mixture, but it did not have any effect. He attempted to return to the airport, but after realizing that the airplane would not reach the runway, he decided to land in a dirt field near the airport with the landing gear retracted. He recalled that he had the airplane refueled about a week before the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane reported that he only removed about 1 or 2 cups of fuel out of the fuel system. The airplane was equipped with only one fuel gauge, which had a single switch that had left, right, and center positions. In the left position, it showed empty; in the center position, which showed the total fuel onboard, it showed 900 lbs; and in the right position, it also showed 900 lbs. No fuel leaks were found, and there were no signs of fuel on the ground. The pilot reported as a safety recommendation to "always top off fuel."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.