Fisher Lancair accident near Azle, Texas, June 12, 2011
On June 12, 2011 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Fisher Lancair, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N6ZY, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Azle, Texas. It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate in-flight fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2011 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Azle, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fisher Lancair 360, amateur-built
- Registration
- N6ZY · no longer on the register · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed for a local test flight in a newly completed kit airplane. The pilot reported that, about an hour after departure, the engine gave a “slight hiccup,” so he turned back to his departure airfield. When the engine began to lose power, he turned on both wing fuel tank transfer pumps. The engine subsequently lost power, so he elected to conduct a gear-up forced landing in a field. A postaccident examination of the airplane’s fuel tanks revealed that they were not ruptured in the accident. Further examination revealed that the left wing and header tanks were empty while the right wing tank was full of fuel.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,382 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 2,553 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 4, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 2, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Aero Sport Power IO-375 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Adastral LLC
The flight
- Departed from: T67 Saginaw TX
- Destination: Azle TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KFTW, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.