- Date
- August 13, 2011, 16:38 local (20:38 UTC)
- Place
- Canon, GA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7435UNorth American AT-6D
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 27, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110813022189A
- Case key
- 81471
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 improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 1
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.
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 pilot stated that the airplane's fuel tanks were full prior to departing on the 2 1/2 hour cross-country flight. About 20 miles north of the destination, the pilot observed a low fuel caution. He requested from air traffic control a diversion to the nearest airport, which was about 20 miles east of the airplane's position; about 2 miles from the airport, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot selected a field and conducted a forced landing. The airplane landed hard, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and engine firewall. A postaccident examination revealed that the airplane's fuel tanks were empty and there was no evidence of fuel spillage. The pilot said that he had flown this route before and had used the same power settings for this flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that the airplane's fuel tanks were full prior to departing on the 2.5-hour cross-country flight. Approximately 20 miles north of the destination airport, the pilot observed a low fuel caution. He elected to divert to an airport approximately 20 miles east of the airplane's position, and approximately 2 miles from the diversion airport, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot selected a field and conducted a forced landing. The airplane landed hard resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and engine firewall. Postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane's fuel tanks were void of fuel, and there was no evidence of fuel leakage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7435U
- Reported as
- North American AT-6D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 8814666
- Airframe hours
- 5,273
- Engine
- P&W R1340 SERIES, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- George and Sheila Palmer
- Registered owner
- George and Sheila Palmer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · August 12, 2011
- Departed
- BMG · Bloomington, IN
- Destination
- AHN · Athens, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- NA
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
- 57
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,780 total · 103 in this make and model · 1,730 as pilot in command · 57 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- CEU, 23 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 9, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 477 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.