Overview
On October 12, 2018, about 1304 central daylight time, a Grumman AA-5B airplane (registration N81383) sustained substantial damage following an accident near Rooke Field Airport (RFG) in Refugio, Texas. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight History
The flight originated from Silver Wings Airport (TS36) in Fredericksburg, Texas, with an intended destination of Lane Airpark (T54) in Rosenberg, Texas. According to the pilot, the airplane had approximately 26 gallons of fuel at departure. The pilot reported becoming lost during the flight due to unfamiliarity with the recently installed Garmin 480 GPS navigation system. Instead of continuing southeast toward T54, the pilot turned south. After about 1.5 hours of flight, concerned about fuel, he decided to land at RFG to refuel.
Accident Events
While maneuvering to land on runway 14L at RFG, the pilot stated he did not maintain adequate airspeed, resulting in an aerodynamic stall during the turn from base leg to final. The pilot also reported a total loss of engine power while on final approach. He had selected the left fuel tank during maneuvering. The aircraft impacted terrain in a field north of the airport, traveling about 100–125 feet after initial ground contact.
Witness and Examination
A witness, who was taxiing toward runway 14L, observed the wreckage and reported that the left fuel tank appeared empty while the right tank contained fuel. The fuel selector valve was found positioned to the right tank. The mixture control was full rich, throttle full forward, ignition on the right magneto, and flaps fully extended. An FAA Airworthiness Inspector confirmed the left tank contained no fuel, while the right tank held about 7 gallons. Less than 2 fluid ounces of combined fuel was recovered from the electric boost pump, fuel line to the carburetor, and carburetor fuel bowl. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage.
Additional Information
A mechanic at the departure airport reported seeing about 8 gallons of fuel in each tank (16 gallons total) prior to departure; the airplane was not refueled there due to lack of fuel service. Radar data indicated departure around 1120, with the flight tracking southeast toward T54 until about 1155, when it turned south and did not reestablish a course to T54. The last radar return at 1302:24 was about 0.125 mile south-southwest of RFG at 350 feet mean sea level. The accident site was located about 1,300 feet north of the approach end of runway 14L. The pilot did not submit a completed NTSB accident report form.