Amateur-built RV-7 accident near Rockwall, Texas, June 16, 2014
On June 16, 2014 at about 8:03 pm local time, a 2010 amateur-built RV-7, registered N707HK, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Rockwall, Texas (Rockwall Municipal Airport). 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 failure to verify the airplane's actual fuel quantity before departure, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion 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
- June 16, 2014 · about 8:03 pm local time
- Place
- Rockwall, Texas · Rockwall Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-7, built 2010
- Registration
- N707HK · registry record · serial 71887
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the final portion of the planned 2 hour 15 minute cross-country flight, about 10 miles from the destination airport and while descending through 4,000 ft mean sea level, the engine began to run roughly and eventually lost total power. The airplane had insufficient altitude remaining to glide to the closest airport, so the pilot completed a forced landing to a nearby road. The pilot had to maneuver the airplane over a row of trees shortly before landing, which reduced the airspeed below best glide speed, and, as a result, the airplane landed hard on the road. The airplane bounced and came to rest on its landing gear in a ditch located alongside the road. A postaccident visual examination established that there was no usable fuel in either wing fuel tank. Additionally, both wing tanks appeared to be undamaged, and there was no evidence of a fuel leak. The pilot reported that the airplane was equipped with capacitive fuel sending units in each wing fuel tank; however, since their installation, the fuel sending units had been unreliable in providing accurate fuel levels. He stated that he added 14 gallons of fuel to the right fuel tank and estimated that the airplane fuel load was about 29 gallons before departure, which would have provided adequate fuel for the flight; however, he did not visually confirm or measure the actual amount of fuel in the left wing fuel tank, which was not refueled before departure. The pilot reported that the total loss of engine power experienced during the accident flight was due to fuel exhaustion. Additionally, the pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had verified the actual amount of fuel available in both fuel tanks before departing on the flight.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (descent)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,439 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 2,293 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 19, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 82 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 17, 2013; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Superior IO-360-B1FD2 (piston); 82 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2M8 Millington TN at 5:40 pm
- Destination: F46 Rockwall TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,800 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from F46, 2 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.