- Date
- January 10, 1991, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bossier City, LA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3XRFolland Gnat T-1
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910110000309A
- Case key
- 23241
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot and his delay in diverting to an alternate airport, which resulted in fuel exhaustion due to lack of fuel. The adverse weather conditions and radio malfunction were related factors.
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
During a flt from Florida to Texas, the plt made an en route stop at panama city, FL & refueled. At 1043 CST, he depd panama city & proceeded on an IFR flt at flt level 310 to dallas, TX. At 1227 CST (after making a wx check), he changed his destn & was cleared to proceed direct to shreveport, LA. The last transmission from the acft was at 1134:50. When he was clrd to dscnd to FL 24O at 1139, no radio reply was rcvd. Subsequently, the plt dscndd & made an apch to rwy 14 at the shreveport rgnl arpt. Tower psnl rprtd that after flying by the tower or making a missed apch, radar contact with the acft was lost. Subsequently, it hit trees & crashed after being airborne about 1.8 hrs. It had begun the flt with an estimated 1.5 hrs of fuel on board. No fuel was found trapped in the lines or filter & no evidence of a fuel spill was found, though the acft was extensively dmgd.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3XR
- Reported as
- Folland Gnat T-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- FL587
- Engine
- Bristol SIDLEY 701, 4,520 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Thompson, Gary S., doing business as Gnati Incorporated
- Departed
- PFN · Panama City, FL
- Destination
- FTW · Dallas, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SHV · Shreveport Regional, runway 14, 8,351 × 200 ft, asphalt
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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 6 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- SHV, 20 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.