Amateur-built ACRO SPORT II accident near Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, August 24, 1996
On August 24, 1996 at about 6:30 pm local time, a amateur-built ACRO SPORT II, registered N456HD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper inflight planning/decision, and his failure to properly monitor (manage) the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing. Soft terrain in the forced landing area was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 1996 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Coeur D'Alene, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ACRO SPORT II ACRO SPORT
- Registration
- N456HD · no longer on the register · serial 254
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot noted that he had departed his home base after using a dip-stick to check the fuel quantity. He landed at another airport to pick up a passenger, then departed and proceeded to a practice area near another airport. He said he became engrossed in practicing flight maneuvers; and about two hours after initial takeoff, the engine quit producing power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot maneuvered for a forced landing at the airport near the practice area, but had to complete his forced landing off airport due to a potential conflict with landing traffic that was ahead. During a turn to his selected forced landing site, his descent rate increased. When he rolled the wings level, he had insufficient altitude and airspeed to avoid a firm touchdown in soft dirt.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 2,700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 251 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 1996; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,520 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CDA ID at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.