- Date
- June 4, 2022, 11:22 local (15:22 UTC)
- Place
- Ellington, CT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N90JFCessna 208
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20220604009539A
- Case key
- 105227
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 planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, an emergency landing, and runway excursion.
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.
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 reported that he planned to refuel the skydiving jump airplane after his third flight of skydivers and experienced about 10 minutes of loading delays with the third flight of skydivers. Then, while climbing, he was “delayed a few minutes” because of traffic in the area. He stated that he was not sure when the low fuel light illuminated, but that on his descent back toward the airport after releasing the third load of skydivers, the red “Reservoir Fuel Low” annunciator illuminated. About 8,000 ft mean sea level, the engine lost all power due to fuel exhaustion. Subsequently, the pilot made an emergency landing at the airport; however, the airplane was “fast and floated.” The airplane touched down midfield, departed the end of the runway, and encountered a tree line, substantially damaging the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. After the accident, the pilot stated he “believe[d] the aircraft ran out of fuel due to several unforeseen and unplanned delays.”
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90JF
- Reported as
- Cessna 208
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20800005
- Built
- 1985
- Airframe hours
- 19,514.5
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A, 675 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving · Part 91
- Operator
- Connecticut Parachutist Inc
- Registered owner
- Isr Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 4, 2022
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 7B9 · Ellington, runway 19, 1,800 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 9, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,185 total · 35 in this make and model · 2,100 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- BDL, 10 nm away
- METAR
- KBDL 041451Z VRB05KT 10SM FEW030 23/13 A2986 RMK AO2 SLP110 T02280133 58005
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 17, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.8 MB 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.
Other investigations on N90JF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.