[Bigfig]

Just a question(s) in my pre planning phase. I pulled up the NTSB RV4 accidents since 1991 and it seems like more then 80% were due to fuel starvation.

Is there any conclusions I should draw from this or just human error. Do the analog vs. digital fuel guages contribute?

Also in going through all the RV reports it seemed like very few were due to structural inflight. Does that seem accurate?

Finally, in "x" number of flying hours in the -4, have there been any consistent stress flaws/cracks that have a high recurrent rate? I ask just to wonder what is the most critical component that may be failing or is the builder "relaxing" quality after completing a previous milestone.

Just trying to get the big picture, thanks.

Brad

 

[Kevin Horton]

Also in going through all the RV reports it seemed like very few were due to structural inflight. Does that seem accurate?

Yes, that seems accurate. There have been several in-flight structural failures of RV-3s with the early spar designs, but I don't believe where have been any with the last design for the RV-3A, or the new spar on the RV-3B. I don't believe there have been any in-flight structural failures on RV-4, -6, -9, or -10.

There was one RV-8 in-flight structural failure, but that appears to have been due to pulling way too many g. Van hired an FAA structures DER to supervise a static load test of a customer-built RV-8 wing, and it more than passed the minimum requirements of the FAR 23 aerobatic category.

 

[alpinelakespilot2000]

Just a question(s) in my pre planning phase. I pulled up the NTSB RV4 accidents since 1991 and it seems like more then 80% were due to fuel starvation.

Is there any conclusions I should draw from this or just human error. Do the analog vs. digital fuel guages contribute?


Brad

Remember that "fuel starvation" and "fuel exhaustion" are two completely different problems. I seem to remember reading that the leading cause of problems with homebuilts is fuel not making it to the engine even when there is a lot of fuel in the tanks. Fuel gauges would have little to do with this. The best thing you can do to have a safe RV is probably to pay a lot of attention to the continuity of your fuel system.

Hope this helps.

 

[smoore]

An old dude just recently told me (and I have no reason to doubt the coot) that the three main causes of VFR pilots dying were:

1) Fuel exhaustion.
2) Controlled flight into terrain
3) VFR into IMC

I noted that none of these were related in any way to the aircraft piloted beyond fuel management, positional awareness and common sense.

Who knows if he's even close to accurate but it makes a student "wake up" to the realities of slipping the surly bonds.

 

[John Clark]

Fuel

Just a question(s) in my pre planning phase. I pulled up the NTSB RV4 accidents since 1991 and it seems like more then 80% were due to fuel starvation.

Is there any conclusions I should draw from this or just human error. Do the analog vs. digital fuel guages contribute?

Brad

There are two terms that get mixed up regarding fuel incidents in aviation, starvation and exhaustion. Starvation usually means that there was fuel in the airplane but it failed to get to the engine. Exhaustion is simply out of fuel. Out of fuel is, excuse me, just stupid. In 40 years of flying I have seen very few fuel gauges that I would trust completely. The good news is that there is a simple answer. Once you have established the consumption in a particular realm of flight, cruise, doing aerobatics, or whatever all it takes is a wristwatch. With a little practice and fine tuning you can predict the fuel burn within a few tenths of a gallon. Starvation can be a mechanical issue like a bad valve or a plugged vent, but it is usually mismanagement. Trying to fly on a tank of air is seldom successful.

John Clark
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA