Pitts A accident near Hickory Valley, Tennessee, December 19, 2019
On December 19, 2019 at about 10:35 pm local time, a 1967 Pitts A, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N113A, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Hickory Valley, Tennessee. 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 pilot’s improper fuel planning which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 19, 2019 · about 10:35 pm local time
- Place
- Hickory Valley, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts A Undesignat, built 1967, amateur-built
- Registration
- N113A · 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 reported that the airplane departed with 17.5 gallons of fuel and about 1 hour and 25 minutes after departure the engine lost power. He attempted to restart the engine using the boost pump to no avail. The pilot elected to make an off-airport landing to a road; during the landing the airplane landed hard and the left main landing gear collapsed resulting in substantial damage to both wings and the firewall. Both the wing fuel tanks were examined and no evidence of fuel remained in either tank. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported as a safety recommendation that more thoughtfully studying the fuel consumption "break in" period could have prevented the accident.
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 defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,090 hours in all; 351 in this make and model; 5.4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 1,974 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 13, 2018
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,660 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 19, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 1,660 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M08 Bolivar TN at 9:05 pm
- Destination: M08 Bolivar TN
- 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 8, 2020. 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, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 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.