CEN11LA061

NTSB accident investigation · Siai-Marchetti S.205/22R · Fruitvale, TX · November 5, 2010

Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
November 4, 2010, 21:10 local (Nov 5, 2010, 03:10 UTC)
Place
Fruitvale, TX
Injuries
1 serious
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N971WASiai-Marchetti S.205/22R
Defining event
Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Night
Status
Completed · report April 12, 2011
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
FAA Flight Standards District Office
FAA report
20101104055239A
Case key
77749

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel planning.

Findings · 2

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Fluids: fuelAircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid levelSiai-Marchetti S.205/22R: 1 caseAll aircraft: 1,695 casesProbable cause
Planning/preparation: fuel planningPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotSiai-Marchetti S.205/22R: 1 caseAll aircraft: 719 casesProbable cause

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

The airplane was serviced with 14 gallons of fuel (the gauges registered three-quarters full) prior to departure, and the pilot flew to another airport where 20 gallons of fuel were added. The pilot then returned to his home base, where the airplane was serviced with another 24 gallons of fuel. The pilot flew back to the same airport but did not refuel there. While en route back to his home airport at night, the engine lost power. The pilot made a forced landing, during which the airplane collided with a power line and trees. The pilot said that he ran out of fuel and that the airplane burned more fuel than he anticipated.

Factual narrative

On November 4, 2010 approximately 2110 central standard time, a Siai-Marchetti S.205/22R, N971WA, registered to and operated by FreddieMac Aviation, LLC, was destroyed during a night forced landing when the airplane struck a power line and trees and impacted terrain after the engine lost power near Fruitvale, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The business flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was seriously injured. The cross-country flight originated at Denton (DTO), Texas, and was en route to Shreveport (SHV), Louisiana. According to the pilot's accident report, earlier that day the airplane was serviced with 14 gallons of fuel (the gauges registered three-quarters full) and he flew from SHV to DTO. At DTO, 20 gallons of fuel were added and the pilot returned to SHV. The airplane was serviced with 24 gallons of fuel and the pilot returned to DTO to take his business partner home. He did not refuel at DTO. En route back to SHV at 7,500 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot said it was his opinion that he "ran out of fuel."

Aircraft

Registration
N971WA
Reported as
Siai-Marchetti S.205/22R
Category
Airplane
Serial number
380
Airframe hours
2,542
Engine
Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Business · Part 91
Operator
FreddieMac Aviation, LLC
Registered owner
FreddieMac Aviation, LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · April 1, 2010 · 117 hours before
Departed
DTO · Denton, TX
Destination
SHV · Shreveport, LA
Flight plan
Unknown

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
48
Injuries
Serious
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
March 24, 2009
Seat
Left
Flight hours
336 total · 295 in this make and model · 268 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Night
Wind
300° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
48 °F, dew point 36 °F
Altimeter
30.12 inHg

Docket · 5

The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 10, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 939 KB in all.

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.