Amateur-built 8-W Modified accident near Prospect, Oregon, January 29, 2019
On January 29, 2019 at about 1:50 am local time, a 1964 amateur-built 8-W Modified, registered N12037, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Prospect, Oregon (Prospect State Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The non-certificated pilot’s failure to ensure adequate fuel onboard prior to flight, which resulted in a 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
- January 29, 2019 · about 1:50 am local time
- Place
- Prospect, Oregon · Prospect State Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 8-W Modified, built 1964
- Registration
- N12037 · no longer on the register · serial 1001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-certificated pilot was observed by airport personnel as he assembled the airplane over a three-day period. On the day of the accident, during the takeoff, the airplane collided with a runway light then departed the airport area. A search was initiated when the pilot did not return in a reasonable amount of time. The wreckage and the pilot were located the next morning about 1.8 nautical miles southwest of the departure airport in an area of thick trees and brush covered terrain. The pilot related to the airport caretaker that; the engine lost power due to “magneto problems.” The airplane was substantially damaged during landing. A postaccident examination of the magnetos revealed no anomalies with either magneto that would have precluded normal operation. Additionally, the fuel tank was found undamaged and empty at the accident site and there was no odor of fuel or evidence of pooling fuel from possible fuel leaks. The pilot’s reported loss of engine power was attributed to fuel exhaustion due to his failure to ensure that sufficient fuel was available for the flight prior to departure.
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 initial climb 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
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,323 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors C90 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 64S Prospect OR at 1:45 am
- Destination: 64S Prospect OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 4,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from MFR, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on October 20, 2021. 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 | FAA Inspector's Interview Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Salvage Company Examination Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Magneto Examinations | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array of Accident Site Area | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.