| Crash location | 30.522223°N, 88.149722°W |
| Nearest city | Theodore, AL
30.547694°N, 88.175280°W 2.3 miles away |
| Tail number | N2214W |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 27 Jun 2002 |
| Aircraft type | Fay Velocity Elite |
| Additional details: | None |
On June 27, 2002, at 1245 central daylight time, a David Fay Velocity Elite experimental airplane, N2214W, registered to and operated by the pilot, collided with the ground during a forced landing in a field in Theodore, Alabama. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The private pilot received serious injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated in Sebastian, Florida, at 0900.
The pilot was en route to Houston, Texas, with an intended fuel stop in Hammond, Louisiana. The pilot stated that, during the flight, he was focused on navigating and avoiding adverse weather, and he did not pay enough attention to the fuel level. He stated fuel burn was higher than planned, groundspeed was slower than planned, and the low fuel light came on over Mobile, Alabama, indicating four gallons remaining. The pilot located a field for landing but elected to continue to St. Elmo Airport in St. Elmo, Alabama, because the field did not appear large enough to allow for takeoff after fueling. While en route to St. Elmo, the airplane's engine lost power, and the pilot landed it in a peanut field and collided with bushes.
The wreckage was found in the bushes on the west edge of a peanut field about 6 miles east of St. Elmo Airport. Examination of the airplane revealed the left wing was separated from the airframe and the nose sustained damage. No fuel was observed in the fuel tanks. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions.
The pilot's inadequate inflight planning for required fuel resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent loss of engine power. A factor was unsuitable terrain.