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LAX03LA255

2003-08-09 · MT. HAMILTON, California, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport RHV

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision, which resulted in a loss of engine power.

Factual narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On August 9, 2003, about 0945 Pacific daylight time, a Lefever experimental Skybolt, N94PL, had a hard landing while making an emergency landing to a field near Mount Hamilton, California. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed Lodi Airport Lodi, California, about 0900 en route to San Martin, California. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The primary wreckage was at 37 degrees 22 minutes north latitude and 121 degrees 38 minutes west longitude. The pilot reported that while he was cruising at 5500 msl the engine quit. He thought that he had run out of fuel. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident site was not able to locate any fuel in any of the fuel tanks. There also was no indication of any fuel leaks. The pilot said he had flown about 1and 3/4 hours since refueling the airplane. The airplane holds enough fuel in the main tanks for approximately two hours flight time. The airplane is equipped with an additional fuel tank, but the pilot said he only uses it for ferry flights.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman records revealed the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with a free ballon rating, and a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine, and multi-engine land ratings. The pilot held an expired third class medical certificate that was issued on September 22, 1998. It had the limitations that the pilot must wear corrective lenses glasses for distant vision. The pilot reported an estimated total flight time of 2,086 hours. He logged 24.4 hours in the last 90 days, and 1.3 in the last 30 days. He had en estimated 95 hours in this make and model.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was a experimental Lefever-Paul, Skybolt, serial number 55118501. A review of the airplane's logbooks revealed a total airframe time of 1,451 hours at the last annual inspection. An annual inspection was completed on August 1, 2003. The airplane had 1.3 hours since the annual inspection at the time of the accident. The airplane had a Teledyne Continental Motors IO-470-F engine, serial number 76357-1F. Total time on the engine at the last annual inspection was 623 hours since overhaul. The pilot reported no unresolved maintenance discrepancies against the airplane prior to departure. The pilot reported that while he was cruising at 5,500 mean sea level the engine quit, and he thought that he had run out of fuel. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the accident site was not able to locate any fuel in any of the fuel tanks, and there was no indication of a fuel leak. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2003_LAX03LA255.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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