Cruise Flight Engine Failure Leads to Emergency Street Landing and Collision (N411BT)

Incident Overview and Immediate Sequence of Events During cruise flight, the aircraft experienced a complete loss of engine power. The pilot initiated an approach for an emergency landing onto a street, where the airplane collided with two moving cars. ## Fuel System and Operational History The pilot reported that the aircraft had been refueled approximately one week prior to the accident and displayed about a half tank during the preflight inspection. Following takeoff, the pilot completed three or four glider tow flights before the incident. Post-accident examination of the crash site indicated that the fuel tank was not ruptured and the fuel gauge read empty. Investigators drained sixteen ounces of fuel from the fuel tank and six ounces from the gascolator. No fuel was visible in the tank, and no fuel was present on the pavement. ## Pilot Impairment and Regulatory Findings A police officer detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on the pilot's breath. A blood alcohol test was ordered and administered 1 hour and 31 minutes after the accident. The specimens were sent to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for analysis. Results showed the pilot's alcohol concentration was 0.08 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of whole blood. The Federal Code of Regulations prohibits any person from acting or attempting to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft while having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 percent by weight or more.