Amateur-built Acro Sport II accident near Beloit, Wisconsin, June 5, 2004
On June 5, 2004 at about 8:15 pm local time, a amateur-built Acro Sport II, registered N796DM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Beloit, Wisconsin. 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
Inaccurate fuel consumption calculations which resulted in fuel exhaustion. Factors associated with the accident were the pilot's continued flight with an inoperable fuel quantity indicator and the wires which the airplane contacted during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2004 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Beloit, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Acro Sport II
- Registration
- N796DM · registry record · serial 1044
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with a power line and the terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot stated the fuel quantity gauge in the airplane was inoperative and he uses a dip stick to check the fuel quantity. He stated he had 13 gallons of fuel on board when he departed from his private airstrip. The pilot flew approximately 65 minutes with two takeoffs and landings prior to the accident. The pilot estimated he had 7 gallons of fuel on board when he made his last takeoff. He stated the airplane usually burns 6 gallons per hour for normal flight and 7.5 gallons per hour when he is performing aerobatics. The airplane holds a total of 24 gallons of fuel of which 22 gallons are usable. Post accident inspection of the airplane revealed there were two gallons of fuel on board the airplane.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 153 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EFT Monroe WI at 3:00 pm
- Destination: Pecantonica IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.