Amateur-built RV-4 accident near Chapel Hill, North Carolina, August 29, 1998
On August 29, 1998 at about 2:10 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-4, registered N144KT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to ensure the aircraft contained adequate fuel to complete the flight resulting in 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
- August 29, 1998 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Chapel Hill, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-4
- Registration
- N144KT · registry record · serial 1187
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot estimated he departed with about 18 gallons of usable fuel and that the engine uses about 9 gallons per hour. While on final approach to his destination the engine quit. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful and a forced landing was made in a wooded area. Postcrash examination of the aircraft by FAA inspectors showed the aircraft did not contain any usable fuel and that there was no evidence of fuel leakage from the aircraft after the accident or in flight before 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 306 hours in all; 159 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 275 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 158 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 28, 1998; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HEF Manassas VA at 12:50 pm
- Destination: IGX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 pm from RDU, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.