20030529019259I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 335 · Detroit/Grosse, MI · May 29, 2003

Date: May 29, 2003 · 17:15 local
Place: Detroit/Grosse, MI
Airport: Grosse Ile Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N335A
Reported as: Cessna 335
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,000 total100 in this make and model55 in the last 90 days

N335ARegistration cancelled Nov 26, 2003 · Cessna 335S/N 335-0009 · Built 1979 Airframe modelCessna 335 Engine modelContinental TSIO-520 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.

(-23) The pilot (mac gardner) stated that he was returning from a trip to griffith airport, IN, from where he took-off approx. at 4PM. Weather at griffith was IFR. After climbing to 7,000 switched both engines to aux tanks. In Detroit area switched both engines over to RH main tank. RH eng quit 1st 20 to 30 seconds before the LH. At the time that the engs quit, the aircraft was approx. 3/4 mile final to rwy 4 and he had no time to restart (his choice was to hit the trees or put the acft on the water). He then ditched the acft on the water and flipped over. The pilot estimated that approx 20 gals of fuel were still available in the LH wing main tank. Weather at Grosse ile was VFR.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT (MAC GARDNER) STATED THAT HE WAS RETURNING FROM A TRIP TO GRIFFITH AIRPORT, IN, FROM WHERE HE TOOK-OFF APPROX. AT 4PM. WEATHER AT GRIFFITH WAS IFR. AFTER CLIMBING TO 7,000 SWITCHED BOTH ENGINES TO AUX TANKS. IN DETROIT AREA SWITCHED BOTH ENGINES OVER TO RH MAIN TANK. RH ENG QUIT 1ST 20 TO 30 SECONDS BEFORE THE LH. AT THE TIME THAT THE ENGS QUIT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROX. 3/4 MILE FINAL TO RWY 4 AND HE HAD NO TIME TO RESTART (HIS CHOICE WAS TO HIT THE TREES OR PUT THE ACFT ON THE WATER). HE THEN DITCHED THE ACFT ON THE WATER AND FLIPPED OVER. THE PILOT ESTIMATED THAT APPROX 20 GALS OF FUEL WERE STILL AVAILABLE IN THE LH WING MAIN TANK. WEATHER AT GROSSE ILE WAS VFR.