Amateur-built Glasair-TD accident near London, Kentucky, July 25, 2003
On July 25, 2003, a amateur-built Glasair-TD, registered N22VB, was substantially damaged in an accident near London, Kentucky (London-Corbin 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 failure to follow published procedures, which resulted in fuel starvation during approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2003
- Place
- London, Kentucky · London-Corbin Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Glasair-TD
- Registration
- N22VB · registry record · serial 1050
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed runway 24 in an amateur built airplane, and circled the airport once. He then made an approach to runway 24, but was too high. The wind was calm, and the pilot decided to enter a downwind leg for runway 06. While on the downwind leg, the engine sputtered and quit. The pilot established a glide and turned toward runway 06, but the airplane impacted a berm about 75 feet prior to the runway. The airplane was not equipped with a main fuel tank flapper valve, which was designed to prevent unporting of fuel in the main tank. Therefore, the kit manufacturer had placed a warning in the builder manual that stated do not land or takeoff with less than 10 gallons of fuel. The notice was not in the pilot's flight manual, and he overlooked it prior to the accident flight. The pilot estimated that he had 8-10 gallons of fuel on the airplane when the engine lost all power. The pilot believed that the unporting caused the engine failure, and that the airplane did not experience any pre-impact mechanical malfunction.
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: 223 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 168 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 30, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 2003; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LOZ London KY
- Destination: LOZ London KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 5,650 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from LOZ
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.