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20030901028959A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Beech B36TC · Ossian, IN · September 1, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 1, 2003 · 20:02 local
Place
Ossian, IN
Phase of flight
Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N8018J
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI03FA291
Reported as
Beech B36TC
Reported engine
Continental TSIO520UB
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Pilot’s flight hours
836 total59 in this make and model47 in the last 90 days
N8018JRegistration cancelled Aug 7, 2006 · Beech B36TCS/N EA-510 · Built 1990Airframe modelBeech B36TCEngine 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) After obtaining a weather briefing from flight service N8018J departed boyne city (N98) for smith field (smd) fort wayne with south bend (sbn) as an alternate airport. The pilot estimated 60 gals. Of fuel with a total of 5 sob. Weather reports indicated deteriorating weather conditions. The pilot contacted fwa for instructions to land and was given vectors to runway 5 ILS approach. The pilot became preoccupied with the autopilot and was too high during the initial approach, he then called for a missed approach and believed he was given a heading of 180 deg with a climb to 2600 feet. At that time, he felt he had about 30 gallons of fuel remaining. It was on the second approach that the engine began to sputter. The pilot pushed the mixture to rich, adjusted the throttle and switched the boost pump to low, the engine continued to sputter. The pilot switched the fuel selector to the left position trying to restart the engine. The engine would not start. At this moment the pilot declared an emergency. During the descent all the panel lights went out except the HSI and garmin unit. The aircrafts left wing clipped a utility pole and struck a county road bursting into flame.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AFTER OBTAINING A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM FLIGHT SERVICE N8018J DEPARTED BOYNE CITY (N98) FOR SMITH FIELD (SMD) FORT WAYNE WITH SOUTH BEND (SBN) AS AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT. THE PILOT ESTIMATED 60 GALS. OF FUEL WITH A TOTAL OF 5 SOB. WEATHER REPORTS INDICATED DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE PILOT CONTACTED FWA FOR INSTRUCTIONS TO LAND AND WAS GIVEN VECTORS TO RUNWAY 5 ILS APPROACH. THE PILOT BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH THE AUTOPILOT AND WAS TOO HIGH DURING THE INITIAL APPROACH, HE THEN CALLED FOR A MISSED APPROACH AND BELIEVED HE WAS GIVEN A HEADING OF 180 DEG WITH A CLIMB TO 2600 FEET. AT THAT TIME, HE FELT HE HAD ABOUT 30 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING. IT WAS ON THE SECOND APPROACH THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER. THE PILOT PUSHED THE MIXTURE TO RICH, ADJUSTED THE THROTTLE AND SWITCHED THE BOOST PUMP TO LOW, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO SPUTTER. THE PILOT SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT POSITION TRYING TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. AT THIS MOMENT THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. DURING THE DESCENT ALL THE PANEL LIGHTS WENT OUT EXCEPT THE HSI AND GARMIN UNIT. THE AIRCRAFTS LEFT WING CLIPPED A UTILITY POLE AND STRUCK A COUNTY ROAD BURSTING INTO FLAME.

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 CHI03FA291Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportUniondale, INThe pilot's inaccurate preflight planning which resulted in an inadequate fuel supply and subsequent fuel exhaustion. Factors associated with the accident were the low ceiling, dark night conditions, and the utility pole which the airplane contacted during…Sep 2, 2003 · Destroyed