NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On September 12, 2011, about 0850 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur built White Lightning, N2WL, lost engine power while on approach for landing at General William J. Fox Field Airport (WJF), Lancaster, California. The pilot operated the airplane under the provision of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The pilot was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage structure after making a gear-up, forced landing onto a road adjacent to the airport. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that departed the Rosamond Skypark Airport (L00), Rosamond, California, about 0845.

The pilot initially reported during an interview with an NTSB investigator that he was repositioning the airplane to Fox Field for a conditional inspection, the last of which had occurred in 2009. While on the base to final turn, the engine lost all power. The airplane was unable to reach the runway, and the pilot performed a forced landing onto an adjacent road.

Recovery personnel, who arrived at the site shortly after the accident, observed fuel leaking from a wing fuel tank vent port. The pilot reported that the fuel tanks contained about 9 gallons of fuel at takeoff. The airplane was recovered, and subsequently examined by the NTSB investigator-in-charge, and an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The airplane was equipped with two fuel tanks within each wing. The tanks were positioned along the main spar and leading edge, and notated as “edge” and “spar” tanks. The tanks were interconnected by a series of fuel lines, which passed through the cabin. A fuel selector valve was located on the forward mounting channel below the pilot seat, and out of the pilot’s direct view. The valve had three selectable positions, “off,” “edge,” and “spar.”

Examination of the fuel supply system revealed that the fuel selector valve was set to the “edge” fuel tank position. Fuel was not present in the fuel lines from the fuel selector valve to the engine fuel control unit; all lines were free of obstruction. The gascolator was about 1/3 full with blue colored fuel. An automotive fuel filter, which was installed between the electrically driven fuel pump and the fuel control unit, was about 1/5th full. The fuel was tested for the presence of water utilizing SAR-GEL water detecting paste; no water was present. The paper fuel filter element was free of debris.

Fluid could be heard sloshing within the fuel tanks; however, no fuel was present at the sump drains. The airplane’s design was such that the fuel filler necks were positioned at the wingtips, preventing a visual assessment of fuel quantity.

The airplane’s master power switch was turned on, and the fuel quantity gauge indications were documented. The edge tank gauge indicated that it was empty, and the spar tank gauge indicated it was filled to just under 1/4 of its capacity. The electrically driven fuel pump was turned on, and audible operation was confirmed.

The airplane was equipped with a fuel-injected, six-cylinder Continental Motors, Inc., IO-360 engine, serial number 350082. The engine sustained no obvious indications of damage. The top spark plugs were removed and examined. Their electrodes remained mechanically undamaged, coated in light grey deposits, and displayed normal wear signatures when compared with the Champion Spark Plugs AV-27 Check-A-Plug chart. The exhaust pipes exhibited light grey deposits, and were free of oil residue. The crankshaft turned freely when rotated by hand utilizing the propeller, and “thumb” compression was observed on all cylinders. Mechanical continuity was established throughout the rotating group, valve train, and accessory section. Sparks were observed at the termination of each top spark plug electrode. No anomalies were noted to the engine that would have precluded normal operation.

The pilot completed the NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report, but did not respond to multiple subsequent requests for further information regarding the accident circumstances. The submitted 6120.1 did not document the date of the airplane’s most recent annual inspection, and the maintenance logbooks were not made available for examination. The FAA inspector reported that there were no records indicating the airplane had been issued a ferry permit.

NTSB Probable Cause

A total loss of engine power during the landing approach due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the airplane’s inaccurate fuel indicator.