- Date
- August 1, 1991, 14:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Monroe, NC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3298QCessna 401
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910801031119A
- Case key
- 8333
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Inadequate preflight by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, due to an inadequate supply of fuel. The pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft fuel system was a related factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The accident occurred during the pilot's second attempt to fly to his destination. According to airport personnel, he did not refuel the airplane after he returned from the first attempt. He had onloaded 43.6 gallons of fuel before departing on the first flight. After departing rutherfordton on the second flight, the airplane was observed about 400 feet above the ground and 4 miles north of Monroe. One witness reported that the right engine was sputtering as it flew overhead; seconds later, the airplane crashed into a wooded area. A wreckage examination disclosed that the fuel system was empty. No fuel was found in the left engine fuel flow divider. Airport personnel also reported the pilot was not knowledgeable of the aircraft fuel system. According to the owner's manual, the fuel consumption rate for cruise at 75% power was about 16 gallons per hour per engine. The pilot had operated the engines approximately 2 hours 10 minutes before they lost power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3298Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 401
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 401-0098
- Airframe hours
- 5,975
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fisher, Hyman S
- Registered owner
- Fisher, Hyman S
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · July 31, 1991 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- 57A · Rutherfordton, NC
- Destination
- RVQ · Salisbury, NC
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,310 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CLT, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3298Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.