Amateur-built SPORTSTAR accident near Tracy, California, July 21, 2019
On July 21, 2019 at about 1:00 am local time, a 2005 amateur-built SPORTSTAR, registered N409EV, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Tracy, California (Tracy Muni airport). 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 and a subsequent emergency landing and collision with a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2019 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Tracy, California · Tracy Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SPORTSTAR No Series, built 2005
- Registration
- N409EV · no longer on the register · serial 20050409
- 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, while conducting the preflight inspection, he mistook the voltmeter for the fuel gauge. The first leg of his flight was uneventful; however, on the return flight, the engine started to sputter and then lost all power. He navigated toward a nearby airport, but when he realized that the airplane would not reach the airport, he chose to land on a field near the south end of the airport. During the landing, the left wing impacted a tree. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 707.2 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 20, 2017
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Bombardier (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E16 San Martin CA
- Destination: AUN Auburn CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 19, 2019. 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, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Damage Photos | 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.
Other NTSB records under N409EV the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.