Amateur-built Howland accident near Gloucester, Virginia, October 3, 2009
On October 3, 2009 at about 7:15 pm local time, a amateur-built Howland, registered N6626R, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Gloucester, Virginia. 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
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate pre-flight planning .
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2009 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Gloucester, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Howland H-2A
- Registration
- N6626R · no longer on the register · serial 1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was conducting a short flight to a friend's private airport, approximately 12 nautical miles away from his point of departure. He stated that he visually inspected the airplane's fuel level prior to departure and estimated that he had enough fuel to conduct the flight. The airplane was not equipped with a fuel quantity gauge. The pilot stated that while cruising at 1,500 feet, he "ran out of gas." The pilot attempted to land on a road, but the airplane collided with power lines and then struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the accident scene reported that there was no fuel found in any of the airplane's fuel tanks.
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 (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 226 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 115 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 26, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 725 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Hirth F30 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FYJ West Point VA
- Destination: Gloucester VA
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 7:23 pm from FYJ
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.