Republic RC3 accident near Advance, North Carolina, November 16, 2020
On November 16, 2020 at about 1:10 pm local time, a 1946 Republic RC3, registered N451E, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Advance, North Carolina. 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 inadequate preflight 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
- November 16, 2020 · about 1:10 pm local time
- Place
- Advance, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Republic RC3, built 1946 · all RC3s on the register
- Registration
- N451E · registry record · serial 182
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The day before the accident, a mechanic measured the fuel quantity at 17 to 18 gallons, after which the pilot conducted a 30- to 45-minute flight. On the day of the accident, the pilot reported he had about 13 gallons of fuel on board before departing on the planned 20-minute flight and estimated the fuel consumption as 13 gallons per hour. After departure, he noted that the expected tailwind was not present, and he had to richen the fuel mixture to decrease the cylinder head temperatures and exhaust gas temperatures while enroute. About 4 miles from the destination, and 25 to 30 minutes into the flight, the engine lost partial power. While on approach to a forced landing site, the engine began producing power again, and the pilot began a climb and turned toward the destination airport. About 1 mile from the airport, the engine lost all power, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. A postaccident engine run revealed no anomalies with the engine that would have precluded normal operation. According to a mechanic who had worked on the accident airplane, the fuel consumption for the airplane make/model can vary between 13.5 and 20 gallons per hour, depending on several factors, included the setting of the ground-adjustable propeller. The fuel flow meter in the accident airplane had not yet been calibrated, and the actual burn rate had not yet been determined. Fuel calculations based on the information provided by the mechanic and pilot revealed that the airplane likely used at least 16.25 gallons since the time the fuel quantity was measured as 17 to 18 gallons by the mechanic on the previous day, not accounting for the engine start, taxi, and runup. Since the fuel tank was not breached during the accident, there was no fuel found in the tank at the accident site, and the engine operated normally after the accident, it is likely that the total loss of engine power was the result of fuel exhaustion.
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 approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,000 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 205 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command; 3,200 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 15, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 12, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 3,150 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Franklin 6A8-215-B6F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NC26 Catawba NC at 12:40 pm
- Destination: 8A7 Mocksville NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 8:15 am from EXX, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on September 28, 2022. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Mechanic Interview Summary | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Statement - Engine Run | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Fuel Performance Calculations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Investigative Photographs | 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.