Cosmos Phase II
Lake Havasu City, AZ — December 22, 2019
Event Information
| Date | December 22, 2019 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | WPR20CA056 |
| Event ID | 20191223X91929 |
| Location | Lake Havasu City, AZ |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 34.48323, -114.32343 |
| Highest Injury | SERS |
Aircraft
| Make | Cosmos |
| Model | Phase II |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 1 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 1 |
| Total Injured | 1 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot's inadequate preflight fuel inspection.
Full Narrative
The private pilot reported that during cruise flight at an altitude of about 800 ft above ground level, the engine lost power. Despite his attempt, he could not restart the engine and initiated a landing in the open desert. During the landing roll, the aircraft impacted a large boulder. The pilot stated that the examination of the trike after the accident revealed that he had ran out of gas. The pilot added that the trike was not equipped with a fuel quantity gauge, and that the only way to verify the fuel level was visually looking into the fuel tank. Additionally, he thought he had a full tank of gas prior to takeoff.The trike sustained substantial damage to the forward upright wing support tubes.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the trike that would have precluded normal operation.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.