Amateur-built HUMMEL ULTRA CRUISER accident near Zephyrhills, Florida, October 15, 2018
On October 15, 2018 at about 6:16 pm local time, a 2017 amateur-built HUMMEL ULTRA CRUISER, registered N245AP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Zephyrhills, Florida (Zephyrhills airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to activate the airplane’s auxiliary fuel pump, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident were the impairing effects of the pilot’s medication on his performance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2018 · about 6:16 pm local time
- Place
- Zephyrhills, Florida · Zephyrhills · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built HUMMEL ULTRA CRUISER Plus, built 2017
- Registration
- N245AP · no longer on the register · serial 132-B
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before departing on a on a local pleasure flight, the sport pilot reported that he did not activate the airplane’s auxiliary fuel pump, which would have replenished the header fuel tank with fuel from the airplane’s two main wing fuel tanks. About 5 minutes later, the airplane’s engine lost power when the fuel supply in the header tank was exhausted. The pilot attempted a forced landing, but as he maneuvered the airplane to avoid a tree, the airplane stalled and descended into the tree. The pilot was seriously injured and the airplane’s fuselage and wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported taking gabapentin prior to the flight. Gabapentin carries the warning, “patients should be advised that gabapentin may cause dizziness, somnolence and other symptoms and signs of central nervous system depression.” It is likely the impairing effects of gabapentin contributed to the pilot's failure to turn on the fuel pump, which led to fuel starvation and the loss of engine power.
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 starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pumps › Not used/operated
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Prescription medication › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 100 hours in all; 60 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 850 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen 2400cc (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ZPH Zephyrhills FL at 6:00 pm
- Destination: ZPH Zephyrhills FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from ZPH, 3 miles away
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 June 16, 2021. 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 | Record of NTSB Conversations | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 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.