Amateur-built CH750 CRUZER accident near San Antonio, Texas, June 2, 2022
On June 2, 2022 at about 7:11 pm local time, a 2021 amateur-built CH750 CRUZER, registered N415WF, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near San Antonio, Texas. 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 loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the fuel starvation was a faulty experimental fuel gauge.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 2022 · about 7:11 pm local time
- Place
- San Antonio, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CH750 CRUZER, built 2021
- Registration
- N415WF · registry record · serial C75-11143
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the experimental, amateur-built airplane reported that the airplane contained about 13 gallons of fuel prior to takeoff for a 1-hour local flight. After flying for about 30 minutes, the pilot switched from the left to the right fuel tank. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power. The pilot thought he accidently ran out of fuel; however, the header fuel tank gauge indicated a full tank. Due to the airplane’s low altitude at the time of the engine power loss, the pilot executed a forced landing to a mowed wheat field which was surrounded by a low-profile fence. During the landing, the airplane contacted the fence and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and rudder. The airplane’s fuel system consisted of a fuel tank in each wing that gravity fed to a header tank. The header tank contained two internal fuel pumps that delivered fuel to the engine driven fuel pump. The header tank was equipped with a “Motor Meter Racing Fuel Level” gauge. A postaccident examination and a functional test of the engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A functional test of the fuel gauge determined the gauge was inoperative.
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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel quantity indicator › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 472 hours in all; 202 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 422 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 10, 2021
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 204 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 23, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,440 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Viking 130 (piston); 204 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 18,000 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from KSKF, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSKF 021855Z 05008KT 10SM SCT055 SCT120 BKN180 32/18 A2991 RMK AO2A SLP120 T03180184 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 22, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.