Amateur-built AVID FLYER accident near Westerly, Rhode Island, August 10, 1997
On August 10, 1997 at about 3:30 pm local time, a amateur-built AVID FLYER, registered N7156X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Westerly, Rhode Island (Westerly St. Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate fuel consumption calculations, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 1997 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Westerly, Rhode Island · Westerly St. Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AVID FLYER
- Registration
- N7156X · registry record · serial 588
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a cross country flight in a homebuilt airplane and executed three full stop landings at different airports. The airplane was not equipped with fuel gauges. The pilot estimated the airplane's fuel endurance at 2.5 hours. After 1.8 hours of flight, the engine lost power and the pilot performed a forced landing to a road. The pilot reported that he did not account for the additional landings and mismanaged his fuel supply.
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: 294 hours in all; 81 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 241 as pilot in command; 51 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 81 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1997; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,010 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GON Groton CT at 3:00 pm
- Destination: WST RI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 4,010 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from GON, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.