Amateur-built SPECIAL accident near Chavies, Kentucky, July 11, 1993
On July 11, 1993 at about 9:42 pm local time, a amateur-built SPECIAL, registered N485MH, was destroyed in an accident near Chavies, Kentucky. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL STARVATION DUE TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER DECISION TO TAKE OFF WITH A LOW FUEL LEVEL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LOW FUEL LEVEL, THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FUEL SYSTEM, AND THE UNEVEN TERRAIN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 1993 · about 9:42 pm local time
- Place
- Chavies, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SPECIAL
- Registration
- N485MH · no longer on the register · serial 3
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT MADE A RIGHT TURN INTO A HOLLOW BETWEEN RISING TERRAIN. HE REALIZED THAT THE AIRPLANE COULD NOT ATTAIN A CLIMB RATE NEEDED TO CLEAR THE TERRAIN, SO HE MADE A STEEP TURN. DURING THE TURN, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER. DURING A FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A CREEK BANK AND WAS DAMAGED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WAS ABOUT 6 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD FOR THE FIVE MILE FLIGHT. THE FUEL CAPACITY OF THE AIRPLANE WAS 23 GALLONS. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES. THE FUEL TANK WAS RUPTURED AND EMPTY. THE FUEL LINE FROM THE FUEL PUMP TO THE INJECTION SERVO CONTAINED THREE TO FOUR DROPS OF FUEL. THE FUEL LINE FROM THE SERVO TO THE FLOW DIVIDER CONTAINED ENOUGH FUEL TO FILL HALF OF THE LINE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS MODELED VERY CLOSELY AFTER A 2 SEAT PITTS SPECIAL, WHICH WAS PLACARDED TO RESTRICT TAKEOFFS WITH LESS THAN 1/4 TANK OF FUEL DUE TO POSSIBLE FUEL STARVATION INDUCED BY ATTITUDE.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 9,300 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 195 in the last 90 days; 73 in the last 30 days; 5,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 150 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 20, 1992; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Duff Field KY at 10:30 pm
- Destination: K20 Hazard KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from JKL, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.