- Date
- February 10, 1993, 16:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ardmore, OK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N34UASwearingen SA-26AT
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930210002189A
- Case key
- 18696
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
Pilot's failure to refuel and fuel exhaustion. Factors were a fuel leak in the wing and unsuitable terrain
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 missed approach the airplane lost power to both engines. The pilot selected the only area available to land. The terrain was marked by trees, fences, and rising terrain. Prior to the missed approach the airplane had landed at another airport in the same town. The purpose of the flight was to ferry the airplane to a facility to repair a fuel leak in the wing
Factual narrative
On February 10, 1993, at approximately 1645 central standard time (CST) a Swearingen SA 26AT, N34UA, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to unsuitable terrain. The Airline Transport Rated pilot, who was also the owner, was not injured during the visual flight rules flight.
During a telephonic interview conducted by the investigator in charge, the pilot provided the following information. He had arrived at the Ardmore Downtown Executive Airport (1F0), Ardmore, Oklahoma, for the purpose of having aircraft maintenance performed, a fuel leak in the wing. He stated that he was told that the repair facility was at the other airport in Ardmore. He departed 1F0 for the Ardmore Municipal Airport (ARD), Ardmore, Oklahoma. As he approached ARD he realized that a localized fog bank had covered the airport, he requested and received clearance to conduct an instrument landing system (ILS) approach, however, he never gained visual recognition of the runway and executed a missed approach. He followed the published missed approach procedures and was climbing to 3,000 feet when the right engine lost power and, shortly thereafter, the left engine lost power. A forced landing was made to a field that was marked with trees, fences, and rising terrain. During the touchdown, with the gear retracted, the airplane struck a line of trees and sheared portions of the wing tips.
During an interview conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, in Ardmore, Oklahoma, the pilot stated he ran out of gas.
An examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector and a certified mechanic revealed that there was no usable fuel in either of the wing cells.
The airplane was released to the owner following an examination of the maintenance records by the investigator in charge.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N34UA
- Reported as
- Swearingen SA-26AT
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T26-145
- Engine
- Garrett TPE-331-1, 665 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Heth, James B.
- Registered owner
- Heth, James B.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · January 2, 2000
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
- 60
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 42,000 total · 25 in this make and model · 42,000 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ADM, 10 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.