ACCIDENT INFORMATION IS USEFUL

While my 4P was being worked on a read about an accident.

WHAT HAPPENED

the pilot was ferrying the Lancair IV or IVP for the owner; he topped the tanks and did his flight planning
He ran out of gas short of the intended airport and died in the emergency landing. he should have had enough
fuel and the gages showed fuel available.(and we can assume that according to fuel flow and time, he perceived that he still had fuel in the tanks)

his head hit the panel

WHY

during the build of the wings a passage between portions of a tank was not open as per the plans;
it should have been. thus there was about 14 gallons that was not available from that tank.

the pilot had unhooked his shoulder belt to operate the fuel selector switch mounted on the floor.

THE PILOT

was an experienced Lancair Pilot and an Airline pilot. Many hours and much experience.

MY SOLUTION

1.  I had inertia reel shoulder belts installed in my plane prior to my first flight in the plane

2. on the first long trip going south, we ran one tank dry
2a. on the trip north we ran the other tank dry
3. in both cases we carefully filled the tanks and learned how much fuel the plane would hold and
     that all the fuel was available to the engine. (not just in the tank)
     i sat on one wing tip while we filled the last bit of fuel into the wings. this usually yields an additional
     1.6 gallons in the tanks

ERGO

I now know that my plane can hold 109 gallons in the wing tanks; thus i set my fuel Totalizator at 106 gallons.

I am not likely ever to be as experienced as the pilot of this accident, but i can use the information to insulate myself from the problems that he encountered.
so this is how i have benefited from this accident report; sad that a pilot was lost and sad for our community,  a black mark on our airplanes

FINALLY A SOBERING THOUGHT

(the data is a little old, but significant none the less)

as of Jan 2011 the following figures
Lancair 4, 4P & 4PT

Flying airplanes                 297
Airplanes destroyed           56

that is 16% of the signed off airplanes being destroyed in a untimely fashion.

THE ANSWER

Training, Training, Training
and reasonable limits of your flying
 (for example: runway lengths, VFR ceiling & vis. requirements. Personal IFR limits)
Annual proficiency flights with a LOBO instructor would be beneficial

fly safe and never stop learning

peter