What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft had a fuel emergency, pilot requested approach and both engines quit, acft landed a 1/2 mile short of rwy in a field. (-23) fuel exhaustion while enroute to oshkosh WI. Emergency landing marey field, middleton, WI. Aircraft received damage to rhmle-nle and fuselage belly skin and formers. One half gallon of fuel was removed from aircraft at site. It cannot be determined if aircraft was completely full at departure. Discussed pertinent issues with pilot. (.4) the pilot stated that the gear deployed sooner than expected and he realized that he was not going to make the runway and subsequently landed approximately 1000 ft short of runway 30. The piloted stated that there should have been 80 gallons of fuel remaining; the gauge indicated 80-85 gallons of fuel. A total of a 1/2 gallon of fuel from the fuel tanks. The fuel gauge indicated 55 gallons of fuel when the electrical master switch was turned 'on'. There were fuel stains present on top of the wings. The aero commander 685 flight manual lists the usable fuel capacity with optional fuel tanks to be 322 gallons. A review of fuel records indicate that the airplane WA s fueled twice prior to departure. Fuelling records provided by the fixed base operator who had fuelled the aircraft show that the aircraft was refueled twice on July 15, 1998 to obtain 278.0 gallons and 13.5 gallons of fuel. The aero commander 685 maintenance manual provides a 'indicator error envelope' for the fuel system which depicts the maximum allowable tolerance between the weight of fuel in the tanks and the fuel quantity gauge indication. The manual also states, 'the fuel vent outlet tube on the lower wing surface should be checked daily for evidence of foreign material'. The aero commander 685 flight manual also states that the left and right fuel vent should be checked during the preflight inspection.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT HAD A FUEL EMERGENCY, PILOT REQUESTED APPROACH AND BOTH ENGINES QUIT, ACFT LANDED A 1/2 MILE SHORT OF RWY IN A FIELD. (-23) FUEL EXHAUSTION WHILE ENROUTE TO OSHKOSH WI. EMERGENCY LANDING MAREY FIELD, MIDDLETON, WI. AIRCRAFT RECEIVED DAMAGE TO RHMLE-NLE AND FUSELAGE BELLY SKIN AND FORMERS. ONE HALF GALLON OF FUEL WAS REMOVED FROM AIRCRAFT AT SITE. IT CANNOT BE DETERMINED IF AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY FULL AT DEPARTURE. DISCUSSED PERTINENT ISSUES WITH PILOT. (.4) THE PILOT STATED THAT THE GEAR DEPLOYED SOONER THAN EXPECTED AND HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE RUNWAY AND SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED APPROXIMATELY 1000 FT SHORT OF RUNWAY 30. THE PILOTED STATED THAT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN 80 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING; THE GAUGE INDICATED 80-85 GALLONS OF FUEL. A TOTAL OF A 1/2 GALLON OF FUEL FROM THE FUEL TANKS. THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED 55 GALLONS OF FUEL WHEN THE ELECTRICAL MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED 'ON'. THERE WERE FUEL STAINS PRESENT ON TOP OF THE WINGS. THE AERO COMMANDER 685 FLIGHT MANUAL LISTS THE USABLE FUEL CAPACITY WITH OPTIONAL FUEL TANKS TO BE 322 GALLONS. A REVIEW OF FUEL RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE AIRPLANE WA S FUELED TWICE PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. FUELLING RECORDS PROVIDED BY THE FIXED BASE OPERATOR WHO HAD FUELLED THE AIRCRAFT SHOW THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS REFUELED TWICE ON JULY 15, 1998 TO OBTAIN 278.0 GALLONS AND 13.5 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE AERO COMMANDER 685 MAINTENANCE MANUAL PROVIDES A 'INDICATOR ERROR ENVELOPE' FOR THE FUEL SYSTEM WHICH DEPICTS THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE TOLERANCE BETWEEN THE WEIGHT OF FUEL IN THE TANKS AND THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATION. THE MANUAL ALSO STATES, 'THE FUEL VENT OUTLET TUBE ON THE LOWER WING SURFACE SHOULD BE CHECKED DAILY FOR EVIDENCE OF FOREIGN MATERIAL'. THE AERO COMMANDER 685 FLIGHT MANUAL ALSO STATES THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL VENT SHOULD BE CHECKED DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.