# Accident 20030320003929A: Gulstm 500B, Eagle Lake, MN, March 20, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 20, 2003, 04:45 local time
- Place: Eagle Lake, MN
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: ZJWA
- Location: 44.2214° N, 93.9186° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.2214&lon=-93.9186&mi=10
- Aircraft: N553RA (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: GULSTM 500B
- Reported engine: LYC IO540*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,800 total, 60 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI03LA087](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI03LA087) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030320003929A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) PILOT DISCOVERED THAT HE WAS LOW ON FUEL AFTER DEPARTING DSM (DESMOINES, IOWA) ENROUTE TO STP (SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA). WEATHER IN DSM WAS BELOW APPROACH MINIMUMS, SO HE DID NOT RETURN TO DSM. PILOT NOTIFIED ATC OF HIS FUEL STATE, WAS CLEARED FOR VOR INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO ALBERT LEA, MINNESOTA (AEL). AEL WEATHER WAS REPORTED 300 OVERCAST 1 MILE VISIBILITY, APPROACH MINIMUMS ARE 500 CEILING/1 MILE VISIBILITY. MISSED APPROACH TO AEL, RECEIVED VECTORS FOR ILS APPROACH TO MANKATO, MINNESOTA (MKT). BOTH ENGINES FAILED WHILE ON APPROACH TO MKT. LANDED IN MUDDY FIELD APPROX. 3 MILES FROM RUNWAY AT MKT. PILOT STATED THAT HE ORDERED FUEL AT OMAHA, PRIOR TO DEPARTING FOR DSM. FBO AT OMAHA DID NOT FUEL THE AIRPLANE, AND PERSONNEL AT FBO IN OMAHA DID NOT RECALL RECEIVING A FUEL ORDER. PILOT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED FULL PRIOR TO DEPARTING OMAHA FOR DSM. HE STATED THAT HE CHECKED THE FUEL TANK AND CAP PRIOR TO DEPARTING OMAHA BY OPENING THE CAP, AND PUTTING HIS FINGER IN, BUT COULD NOT FEEL ANY FUEL. HE STATED THAT HE BELIEVED THIS TO BE NORMAL. HE DID NOT REQUEST FUEL IN DSM, NOR DID HE CHECK THE FUEL PRIOR TO DEPARTING DSM. THE AIRPLANE WAS DEVOID OF FUEL AT THE SCENE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI03LA087](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI03LA087), Mar 20, 2003: Aero Commander 500-B (N553RA), Mankato, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight and not verifying the airplane had been refueled.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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