Amateur-built Kitfox Series 5 accident near Garden Prairie, Illinois, August 26, 2002
On August 26, 2002 at about 2:09 am local time, a amateur-built Kitfox Series 5, registered N743JT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Garden Prairie, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's miscalculation of fuel consumption and his operation of the fuel system beyond its limitation, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. Contributing factors were transmission wires and dark night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 2002 · about 2:09 am local time
- Place
- Garden Prairie, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Kitfox Series 5
- Registration
- N743JT · registry record · serial S9501-0091
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft collided with transmission wires during a forced landing following a complete loss of engine power. The power loss occured 7 miles from the intended destination. En route, approximately 150 nm from the destination, the pilot reported that his "fuel site gauges indicated 1/2 tank in right wing and just under 1/2 tank in left" wing. Based on this, he calculated remaining fuel at about 11 gallons, which he determined was sufficient to complete remainder of the flight. The pilot notes in his statement, that he began a slow descent, in preparation to enter the traffic pattern. According to the pilot: "With 7 NM showing on the GPS, ... and while passing 2,000 [feet] MSL the engine stopped." He reported that he attempted a restart, "but soon felt the controls get mushy," and decided to focus his attention on a setting up for a forced landing. He reported that the aircraft was "topped off" with 22 gallons of fuel prior to departure. The previous flight lasted 3.6 hours, with a fuel burn of 6.1 gallons per hour (gph), as calculated by the pilot. The accident flight was 3.8 hours. Based on information from the kit manufacturer, the fuel tank configuration installed in the accident aircraft consisted of two 13 gallon wing tanks and a header tank. The wing tanks had an unusable fuel quantity of about 2-1/2 gallons per tank -- 5 gallons total -- when in a descent (nose down attitude). In this configuration, the "fuel tends to run forward, away from the tank outlet, and during those periods fuel will be provided by the engine from the supply in the header tank," according to a service letter issued by the kit manufacturer. The pilot reported the capacity of the header was 3/4 gallon. After a flight of 3.8 hours, at a fuel burn rate of 6.1 gph, approximately 2.8 gallons remained in the wing tanks. The endurance of the 3/4 gallon header tank was approximately 7 minutes, at 6.1 gph. At a ground speed of 120 knots, this equates to about 14 miles. The pilot reported that his descent began 20 miles from the airport, and the engine quit 7 miles from the airport.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,253 hours in all; 428 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 20, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 428 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 20, 2002; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru EA-81 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PLN Pellston MI at 10:30 pm
- Destination: C77 Poplar Grove IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 am from RFD, 15 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.
Other NTSB records under N743JT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.