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19981003027939A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Tmpson NAVION A · Jaffery, NH · October 3, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
October 3, 1998 · 18:15 local
Place
Jaffery, NH
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4285K
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD99LA002
Reported as
Tmpson Naviona
Reported engine
Continental IO470H
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
229 total47 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N4285KRegistration cancelled Apr 10, 2002 · Ryan NAVION AS/N NAV-4-1285 · Built 1948Airframe modelRyan NAVION AEngine modelContinental E185 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Acft experienced engine problems at the 3000 foot level after takeoff and struck trees while attempting to return to the arpt. Acft came to rest nose down with its tail up in the trees. (.4)the pilot conducted a preflight of the navion a airplane confirming 20 gallons of fuel each in the left and right main tanks, but did not check the 20 gallon auxiliary tank. He then departed mansfield, Massachusetts, flew a minimum of 69 statute miles and landed at jaffrey, new hampshire, subsequently departing without taking on fuel and flying for approximately two additional hours. He landed at jaffrey again, and without shutting the airplane down, departed back to mansfield. Shortly after departing jaffrey and leveling off at 3,000 feet, the airplane's engine lost power. Unable to return to his departure field, and deeming his intended landing site as unsuitable, he executed a forced landing into tree tops. A post-crash examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed no fuel in the airplane's fuel tanks, and no evidence of fuel leakage. The pilot stated that 'due to the power setting I chose to run the airplane at, the length of the flight, and my negligence to visually check and only operate the aircraft based on the fuel gauge readings, I believe that it was my mistake in exhausting the fuel.' (-23) pilot neglected to properly pre-flight the aircraft prior to departing jaffrey municipal airport to determine quantity of fuel. Approx 5 minutes after departure the pilot transitioned from climb to cruise flight. During re-adjustment of power, the engine lost power. The pilot turned back to the airport but didn't have enough altitude to make it. The aircraft landed in the trees adjacent to a field approc 2 miles south of the airport. The aircraft was substantially damaged. Only residual fuel was found in the tanks and none to the fuel line leading to the fuel injection unit.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT EXPERIENCED ENGINE PROBLEMS AT THE 3000 FOOT LEVEL AFTER TAKEOFF AND STRUCK TREES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. ACFT CAME TO REST NOSE DOWN WITH ITS TAIL UP IN THE TREES. (.4)THE PILOT CONDUCTED A PREFLIGHT OF THE NAVION A AIRPLANE CONFIRMING 20 GALLONS OF FUEL EACH IN THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN TANKS, BUT DID NOT CHECK THE 20 GALLON AUXILIARY TANK. HE THEN DEPARTED MANSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, FLEW A MINIMUM OF 69 STATUTE MILES AND LANDED AT JAFFREY, NEW HAMPSHIRE, SUBSEQUENTLY DEPARTING WITHOUT TAKING ON FUEL AND FLYING FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO ADDITIONAL HOURS. HE LANDED AT JAFFREY AGAIN, AND WITHOUT SHUTTING THE AIRPLANE DOWN, DEPARTED BACK TO MANSFIELD. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING JAFFREY AND LEVELING OFF AT 3,000 FEET, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST POWER. UNABLE TO RETURN TO HIS DEPARTURE FIELD, AND DEEMING HIS INTENDED LANDING SITE AS UNSUITABLE, HE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING INTO TREE TOPS. A POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED NO FUEL IN THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TANKS, AND NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE. THE PILOT STATED THAT 'DUE TO THE POWER SETTING I CHOSE TO RUN THE AIRPLANE AT, THE LENGTH OF THE FLIGHT, AND MY NEGLIGENCE TO VISUALLY CHECK AND ONLY OPERATE THE AIRCRAFT BASED ON THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS, I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS MY MISTAKE IN EXHAUSTING THE FUEL.' (-23) PILOT NEGLECTED TO PROPERLY PRE-FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO DEPARTING JAFFREY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT TO DETERMINE QUANTITY OF FUEL. APPROX 5 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE THE PILOT TRANSITIONED FROM CLIMB TO CRUISE FLIGHT. DURING RE-ADJUSTMENT OF POWER, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT TURNED BACK TO THE AIRPORT BUT DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO MAKE IT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN THE TREES ADJACENT TO A FIELD APPROC 2 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. ONLY RESIDUAL FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE TANKS AND NONE TO THE FUEL LINE LEADING TO THE FUEL INJECTION UNIT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB IAD99LA002Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportJaffrey, NHThe pilot's inadequate aircraft preflight and subsequent failure to refuel the aircraft resulting in fuel exhaustion. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain to execute a forced landing.Oct 3, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4285K · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19950520048749ARaynham, MA(-16) Aircraft enroute to katama (1B2) from norwood (owd) ma, when engine began running rough. Pilot made forced landing in a field. Pilot and 3 passengers experienced minor injuries in the form of lacerations/bruises. Aircraft damage included sheared nose…May 20, 1995 · Substantial damage