# NTSB CEN14LA327: Cessna T207, N207AB, Indianapolis, IN, June 27, 2014 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 27, 2014, 12:19 local (16:19 UTC) - Place: Indianapolis, IN - Coordinates: 39.730846, -86.289115 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7308&lon=-86.2891&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern final: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report January 14, 2015 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 89566 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN14LA327 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/89566/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89566 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14LA327 ## Probable cause A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from the pilot's failure to monitor the fuel level and switch tanks in a timely fashion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna T207, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2073612), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Action: forgotten action/omission](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna T207, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md?model=2073612), [All aircraft, 440 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna T207, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md?model=2073612), [All aircraft, 733 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna T207, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2073612), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna T207, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2073612), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that the airplane took off for an aerial mapping flight fully fueled (80 gallons of total fuel, 76 gallons of which were usable). After about 3.9 hours of flight, he returned to the airport to land. When the airplane was 1.5 miles from the runway, the engine lost power. The pilot reported that he performed the engine failure checklist (restart procedure) items from memory but was unable to reestablish power. The airplane cleared the airport perimeter fence but impacted terrain short of the runway. During postaccident examination, no fuel was found in the left tank, fuel was found in the right tank, and the fuel selector was found positioned to the right tank. Other than the empty left tank, the examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction or abnormality that would have precluded normal engine operation. Therefore, it is likely that the fuel selector was positioned to the left tank and that the engine lost power due to fuel starvation when this tank ran dry. The pilot likely switched the fuel selector to the right tank during his unsuccessful attempt to restart the engine. ## Factual narrative On June 27, 2014, at 1219 eastern daylight time, a Cessna T207, N207AB, landed short of the runway at Indianapolis International Airport (KIND), Indianapolis, Indiana. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to Aero Systems, Inc., of Erie, Colorado, and operated by Surdex Corporation, of Chesterfield, Missouri, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a business flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight originated from IND approximately 0845.The airplane had been engaged in aerial mapping of an area north on KIND. According to the pilot's accident report, he departed KIND about 0845 with full fuel (80 gallons, 76 gallons useable). After about 3 hours of aerial work, he returned to KIND for land. When the airplane was 1.5 miles from runway 23L, the engine lost power. The pilot was able to clear the airport perimeter fence, but the airplane impacted terrain short of the runway. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors examined the airplane on the day of the accident, and again on June 30 and July 7. According to the FAA's principal maintenance inspector's report, the airplane was placed in a level position and the fuel tanks were visually inspected. No fuel was observed in the left tank, but fuel could be seen in the right tank. When the left tank was sumped, no fuel was recovered. The fuel selector was found positioned on the right tank. When the airplane was raised up, fuel leaked in the area of the main fuel line strainer. When the fuel selector was moved to the left tank position, the fuel stopped leaking. Fuel that was collected showed no evidence of contamination. According to FlightAware, a global aviation software and data services company that tracks flights throughout the world, the airplane's average ground speed was 107 knots. If each tank contained 36.5 gallons of useable fuel and the power loss occurred 3.9 hours later, FAA inspectors calculated the fuel consumption rate to be slightly less than 10 gallons per hour. FAA photographs indicated the beginning Hobbs meter and tachometer times were 1,737.2 and 627.1 hours, and the ending times were 1,741.1 and 630.5 hours, a difference of 3.9 and 3.4 hours, respectively. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N207AB](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N207AB-2018-01-02), registration cancelled 2018-01-02, S/N 20700342, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA T207 - Registry model: [Cessna T207](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t207) (registry code 2073612) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (registry code 17040, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 20700342 - Year built: 1976 - Engines: CONT MOTOR TSIO-520-G 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Aerial observation, Part 91 - Operator: Surdex Corporation - Registered owner: Aero Systems Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 24, 2014, 11 hours before - Departed: IND, Indianapolis, IN - Destination: IND, Indianapolis, IN - Airport: KIND, Indianapolis International, runway 23L, 10,000 × 150 ft, concrete - Equipment: Stall warning system, Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 33; injuries: minor; private, flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review September 13, 2012; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 2,206 total, 150 in this make and model, 2,142 as pilot in command, 137 in the last 90 days, 58 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 130° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 66 °F - Altimeter: 30.05 inHg - Observed at: IND, 1 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20140627010319A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140627010319A), Jun 27, 2014: Cessna T207, Indianapolis, IN, Substantial damage. On June 27, 2014, at 1219 eastern daylight time, a Cessna T207, N207AB, landed short of the runway after a power loss at Indianapolis international airport… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 25, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89566. 1.4 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 505 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40415628&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - FAA Inspector's Statement 7/7/2014 (item 2, .PDF, 175 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40415629&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement%207%2F7%2F2014-Redacted.PDF - FAA Inspector's Statement 7/15/2014 (item 3, .PDF, 97 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40415630&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement%207%2F15%2F2014-Redacted.PDF - FlightAware Ground Track - N207AB (item 4, .PDF, 73 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40415631&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FlightAware%20Ground%20Track%20-%20N207AB-Master.PDF - Photo 1 - Fuel Boost Pump (item 5, .PDF, 553 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40415632&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20Fuel%20Boost%20Pump-Master.PDF - Revised Factual Report (item 6, .PDF, 45 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40420849&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Revised%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.