# Accident 20120723016769A: Aero Commander 500 S, July 23, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 23, 2012, 17:42 local time
- Airport: Elko
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: V8ZA
- Location: 40.7608° N, 115.6872° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7608&lon=-115.6872&mi=10
- Aircraft: N535SA (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: AERO COMMANDER 500 S
- Reported engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 16,981 total, 1,674 in this make and model, 178 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR12TA323](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12TA323) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120723016769A

## Narrative

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

DURING AN AIR-ATTACK COORDINATION FOR AERIAL FOREST FIREFIGHTING ACTIVITIES, THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED ON STATION FOR APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS AND 30 MINUTES.  UPON RETURN TO ELKO, BOTH ENGINE STARTED SURGING WITH A SUBSEQUENT COMPLETE ENGINE POWER LOSS.  AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS PERFORMED ON A NEARBY ROAD AND DURING ROLLOUT, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A ROAD SIGN WITH THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS.  A SUBSEQUENT DRAINING OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED ONLY ABOUT 1 GALLON OF FUEL WAS AVAILABLE.

## 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 WPR12TA323](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12TA323), Jul 24, 2012: Aero Commander 500 S (N535SA), Elko, NV, substantial damage. Probable cause: A loss of power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's failure to comply with required fueling procedures and the pilot's poor decision-making in not monitoring his…

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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