- Date
- August 13, 1988, 14:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Haven, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5124TChampion 7KCAB
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 16, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880813035349A
- Case key
- 13870
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 inattentive fuel system monitoring, and the resultant total failure of the aircraft's powerplant due to fuel exhaustion. A forced landing was executed on a stretch of beach with sand dunes, and the aircraft was substantially damaged during the rough touchdown and landing roll. The pilot expected to have at least another hour of fuel, based on previous experience. Fuel quantity was being judged by timing the duration of accumulated flights; no electric fuel quantity indicator was installed.
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 stated that he was towing banners on the day of the accident. After towing the third banner for an estimated 1 1/4 hours, he was returning to the departure airport when the aircraft's engine failed completely. He selected the 'closest field that looked the best...' And executed a forced landing on an area of rough sand dunes. The pilot had a commercial pilot's certificate with approximately 633 hours total flight time, of which 72 hours were in the accident make and model aircraft. The pilot reported that he had been towing banners for 'two seasons' and 'always timed...fuel burn to leave 1 hour reserve.' He stated that he judged his fuel quantity by the cumulative hours the aircraft had flown since the aircraft had no electric fuel quantity indicator. He stated that he estimated that he had one hour of fuel remaining when the engine quit.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5124T
- Reported as
- Champion 7KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- C. J. Black & C. A. Tuinstra
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 10, 1987 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- 3GM · Grand Haven, MI
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 633 total · 72 in this make and model · 605 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MKG, 4 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.