Event WPR23LA158

Factual narrative

On April 14, 2023, about 1530 central daylight time, a Piper PA-18A-150 Super Cub, N7278D, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Garrison, Missouri. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he and his wife had purchased the airplane the day before the accident and that the purpose of the flight was to ferry the airplane cross-country from Paris, Texas, to an airport in Tennessee. He reported that his initial leg from Cox Field Airport (PRX) was uneventful but he noticed two things: first, he found sediment in the gascolator during preflight at PRX, and they had to drain 15-21 ounces of AVGAS to clear the gascolator; second, there was an unexplained minor sputter that his wife noticed during cruise flight, which they deemed not an emergency. The airplane landed at Gastons Airport (3M0) in Lakeview, Arkansas, without incident. He added that they flew for about 2.3 hours with an average fuel burn rate of 9-10 gph.        After lunch, during the preflight, sediment was again found in the gascolator. The pilot sumped another 15-21 ounces of AVGAS to clear the gascolator and decided to continue with the flight. The pilot visualized that the fuel sight gauge showed that each tank contained slightly above ¼ tank of fuel, and according to his calculations, it would equate to about 1 flight hour or about 10 gallons of fuel. The pilot and an accompanying airplane departed 3M0 for Downtown Airport (3DW), Springfield, Missouri on a 30-minute leg for a final rest stop for the day. About 20 minutes into the flight, the engine sputtered. He configured the airplane for a climb and increased engine power, but the engine sputtered again, so he reduced the power to idle. He immediately informed the other pilot that he was going to initiate a forced landing to a nearby field. The pilot selected a field and after making a 360° turn to land and applying full flaps, the pilot decided to go around due to a tailwind. During the egress climb, the engine lost all power. The pilot initiated a forced landing, and the airplane struck trees and came to rest on the ground. The right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. A postaccident examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that all major components of the airplane were found at the accident site. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to the rudder and elevators. Aileron movement could not be established due to impact damage, but continuity was traceable from the cockpit to its corresponding flight surface. The pitch trim system was found in the nearly full nose-down position and the flaps were found fully retracted. The engine and engine accessories remained secured to its attachment points and no anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation. The fuel selector lever was found in the BOTH position. The fuel strainer had only trace amounts of residual fuel present, which was clean and clear of water. The carburetor drain plug was removed and trace amounts of residual fuel were present; there was no evidence of water, debris, or other contamination. The right-wing tank was breached consistent with impact damage and no trace of fuel was observed. The left-wing tank was not breached but contained only trace amounts of residual fuel when the fuel line from the tank was disconnected. The wreckage site was surveyed for blue staining and other signs of fuel residue but none was observed. According to the pilot’s operating handbook, the Lycoming O-320 that powered the accident plane consumes about 9 gph of fuel at 75% power and full rich mixture. The pilot reported an average fuel burn of 9-10 gph. Before the second leg departure, the pilot saw that the fuel indicator gauges indicated ¼ for each tank. The pilot estimated that the plane had around 10 gallons of fuel. He stated that he did not refuel the airplane and had not visually evaluated the amount of fuel in each tank. According to a major repair and alteration airworthiness record, a new cub crafters fuel system kit was installed on October 10, 2009, under STC SA00415SE. The STC required the removal of the header tanks and add a Right, Left, Both and Off position to the fuel selector valve. The STC flight manual supplement stated that the usable fuel and unusable fuel for each tank is 17.2 and 0.8 gallons, respectively, out of an 18-gallon tank. According to the drawings, the fuel port in each wing was located at the forward and aft, inboard sections. According to his calculation, with about 2 gallons of fuel used for a run-up and takeoff, 3 gallons used for a 20-minute flight, and an unusable fuel value of 1.6 gallons (both tanks), the airplane would have about 3.4 gallons of total fuel remaining. The closet weather station about the time of the accident reported visual meteorological conditions with clear clouds, a temperature of 77°F, a dewpoint of 48°F, and a barometric setting of 29.71 inches of mercury. According to the FAA Carburetor Icing Prevention Bulletin, the conditions were conducive to serious icing at glide power. Before departure on the second leg of a cross-country flight in the newly purchased airplane, the pilot saw that the fuel sight gauge was indicating each fuel tank was 1/4 full. He calculated that the airplane contained a total of 10 gallons of fuel. Twenty minutes into the flight, the engine sputtered. He configured the airplane for a climb and increased power, at which time the engine sputtered again so he reduced the power to idle. He initiated a 360° turn for a forced landing and applied full flaps but decided to initiate a go-around due to a tailwind. During the climb, the engine lost all power. The airplane descended into trees and impacted terrain. Postaccident examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation. The right tank was breached from impact and did not contain any fuel. The left wing fuel tank had only traces of fuel when the fuel line was disconnected; the fuel strainer and bowl also had only traces of fuel. A fuel system had been installed on the airplane that provided the pilot the ability to select both fuel tanks for usage (this was not available in the factory installations). The usable fuel amount was 17.2 gallons per tank (0.8 gallons unusable). The fuel selector was found positioned on BOTH after the accident. The pilot added that he calculated a fuel burn of about 10 gallons per hour (gph) from his first leg of the cross-country flight. Using the pilot’s calculation, the airplane should have had about 3.4 gallons of fuel after a 20-minute flight. The pilot further reported that he only checked the fuel sight gauges and did not visually verify the fuel level in each tank. As the left tank was void of fuel and undamaged, the fuel calculations suggest that the engine likely lost all power due to fuel starvation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• — Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid level
• — Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid management
• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Fuel planning-Pilot
• — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
• — Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid level