Accident Details
On September 14, 2018, about 1020 eastern daylight time, an American Aviation AA-1A, registration N9218L, was substantially damaged after it impacted terrain during a forced landing in Warthen, Georgia. The commercial pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The personal flight originated from Oconee County Regional Airport (CEU), Clemson, South Carolina, and was destined for Summerfield, Florida.
Fuel and Flight History
The pilot reported purchasing the airplane earlier that day in Morristown, Tennessee. He filled each of the two fuel tanks with 12.5 gallons of fuel and departed from Moore-Murrell Airport (MOR), Morristown, Tennessee, around 0730, destined for Summerfield, Florida. While cruising at 9,500 ft mean sea level, about 20 minutes after takeoff, he noticed the fuel level had dropped to one-fourth tank in each fuel tank. Believing the fuel burn was high, he diverted to the closest airport, CEU, where he refueled with 24 gallons and departed around 0950. About 30 minutes into the flight, he again observed one-fourth tank in each wing tank. He diverted to the nearest airport, Wrens Memorial Airport (OKZ). Approximately 15 miles from OKZ, the engine lost all power. He switched to the right fuel tank, activated the electric boost pump, and the engine restarted. A few minutes later, the engine again lost all power, and both fuel tanks were empty. The pilot located a field and configured for landing. During rollout, the nose landing gear contacted soft dirt and collapsed. The airplane slid 90° to the left and came to rest upright. Both occupants egressed through the canopy.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the left-wing tip was crushed, the main spar was damaged, and the nose landing gear had collapsed. No fuel was present in either the left or right fuel tank. Two gallons of fuel were poured into the right fuel tank, and the electric fuel pump was turned on. Fuel began draining from the carburetor float bowl, and examination of the bowl revealed that its threaded plug was missing.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. He held an FAA third-class medical certificate issued August 30, 2018, at which time he reported 700 total hours of flight experience. The airplane was issued an airworthiness certificate on June 9, 1971. According to the FAA type certificate data sheet, the airplane was originally equipped with a 108-horsepower Lycoming O-235-C2C engine driving a two-bladed McCauley 1A105 SCM 7157 propeller. The engine had been replaced with a 150-horsepower Lycoming O-320-E2 engine driving a two-bladed Sensenich propeller. The airplane was equipped with two 12-gallon fuel tanks, for a total fuel capacity of 24 gallons, of which 2 gallons were unusable. The pilot reported that the airplane had recently undergone an annual inspection and a pre-purchase inspection, but he was unable to locate the airplane's maintenance logbooks following the accident. The airplane's maintenance history, including any work on the carburetor, could not be determined.