- Date
- October 28, 1991, 15:57 local (21:57 UTC)
- Place
- Brewton, AL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N78006Globe GC-1D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911028048569A
- Case key
- 8544
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
A blockage of the fuel vent system which prevented the pilot from topping off the fuel system. A factor in this accident was the inadequate design by the manufacturer of the fuel vent system.
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 airplane ran out of fuel and crashed short of the destination airport. Prior to departing homer, the pilot thought he had topped off the fuel system during the preflight inspection. However, during postaccident inspection of the airplane at the accident site, no fuel was recovered from the fuel system; there was no fuel spillage. Subsequent examinations of the fuel system disclosed the fuel vent line from the right tank was blocked and prevented a full compliment of fuel (approximately 9 gallons) from being pumped into the fuel system. The blockage was 18 inches aft the right tank at the lowest point of the vent system. Later models of the swift incorporated a vent system void of low points and less subject to debris accumulation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78006
- Reported as
- Globe GC-1D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 2,177
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jang, Kenneth
- Registered owner
- Jang, Kenneth
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 21, 1991 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- SF4 · Homer, LA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 12J · Municipal, runway 24, 5,135 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MOB, 45 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.