- Date
- April 29, 1993, 13:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Hamilton, AL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9696Grumman G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930429011059A
- Case key
- 8740
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
The pilot's failure to properly calculate fuel consumption at an increased power setting, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power. Trees at the forced landing area were a factor in the accident.
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 pilot reported that about one hour and forty two minutes into the ferry flight, the engine quit due to fuel exhaustion. The aircraft was force landed into forested area, where it collided with trees and terrain. The pilot calculated that there was about two hours and twenty minutes of fuel on board when the flight originated. The operator provided fuel burn data from previous flights, however this data was based on a ground speed of about 78 knots, with 28 inches manifold pressure and 2,000 RPM. The investigation revealed that the average ground speed during the accident flight was about 100 knots, which would have required a higher engine power setting. An examination of the aircraft wreckage revealed no evidence of a fuel leak.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9696
- Reported as
- Grumman G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1229
- Airframe hours
- 6,300
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Coates Flying Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Coates Flying Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 6, 1992 · 350 hours before
- Departed
- M28 · Hayti, MO
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 3,980 total · 2,900 in this make and model · 3,930 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSL, 40 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.