View of a plane crash in the Green Lake County town of Brooklyn July 27, 2023. (Photo courtesy Green Lake County Sheriff's Office)
GREEN LAKE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A plane heading to EAA Airventure last July probably crashed because it ran out of fuel, “which resulted from the pilot’s inadequate preflight planning,” according to an NTSB report released Thursday.
Two people were in the Varga 2150A plane when it crashed in a corn field on July 27. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries.
The plane departed South Bend, Indiana (KSBN) on its way to Oshkosh.
Using this information, the airplane was airborne for 3 hours and 37 minutes. According to the Airplane Operations Manual, the fuel capacity was 35 gallons with 34 gallons usable, and the fuel burn at 75% power when properly leaned was between 8.5 and 8.7 gallons per hour depending on atmospheric conditions, or 3.9 to 4.0 hours endurance without reserve,” the report states.
There was no fuel smell at the accident site and no evidence of a fuel spill. Once the airplane was righted the fuel tanks were examined and no usable fuel was found in the fuel tanks. The tanks were not compromised. Post-recovery examination of the airplane and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation,” the report states.
The NTSB report does not identify who was in the plane, although the pilot is listed as a 58-year-old man.
FAA records show the plane is currently registered to Cathy Retzlaff of Oshkosh.
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