Preceptor Aircraft Ultra pup accident near Smithville, Tennessee, December 22, 2002
On December 22, 2002 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Preceptor Aircraft Ultra pup, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N5178D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Smithville, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning of fuel resulted in fuel starvation, the total loss of engine power and the subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 2002 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Smithville, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Preceptor Aircraft Ultra pup, amateur-built
- Registration
- N5178D · no longer on the register · serial 1223
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he had just purchased the airplane and was returning to his home base. Approximately 14 miles from the Smithville Municipal Airport, Smithville, Tennessee, the engine began to run rough. The pilot applied carburetor heat and the engine stopped. The pilot executed an emergency landing in a field. No fuel was found in the left or right wing tanks. Three gallons of fuel was drained from the header tank, and no blockages were observed. The pilot did not report any mechanical or flight control malfunctions prior to the accident. The pilot stated that he preflight planned for 2.5 hours, a fuel capacity of 12 gallons. The pilot had been flying for approximately 2 hours.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 472 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 405 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 15, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 51 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 21, 2002; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Aero-Vee 1835 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EVV Evansville IN at 6:55 pm
- Destination: 0A3 Smithville TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 222° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from CSV, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.