Van's RV8 N388RV

Summary

On 3 September 2021 at about 16:50 local time, a Van's RV8 registered N388RV was involved in an accident near Delray, Florida, 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

3 September 2021 at 16:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Delray, Florida, United States

Coordinates

26.4552, -80.2107

Aircraft

Van's RV8

Registration

N388RV

Category

Airplane

Year built

2000

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

West Palm Beach → Immokalee

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21LA393

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and improper fuel planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion and subsequent 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 during the preflight inspection he was unable to measure the fuel quantity with a dipstick, due to the tailwheel airplane’s tail-low attitude as it sat on the ramp. He stated that he “rocked the wing back and forth…to see the fuel sloshing around” and estimated that the left tank contained 9-10 gallons, and the right tank had “less fuel visible.” The purpose of the flight was to refuel the airplane at the destination airport, where fuel was less expensive. He estimated a fuel burn of 4-5 gallons for the planned 30-minute flight. While enroute, the pilot diverted his course to avoid rain showers that were developing before he ultimately decided to return to the departure airport. During the return, the engine began to “sputter,” at which time he turned on the electric fuel pump and switched the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank. Sometime after, the engine sputtered again, and he decided to perform an off-airport landing. During landing the airplane struck a fence rail, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings. A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the damaged fuel tanks were devoid of fuel, with no indications of fuel having leaked from them, and no odor of fuel was noted at the scene.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.