- Date
- September 23, 1993, 15:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N261AFairchild M-62A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 1, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930923036219A
- Case key
- 18835
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
Fuel starvation induced power loss due to the pilot's improper fuel tank selection and his failure to switch tanks after the power loss. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain onto which a forced landing could be executed.
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
According to the pilot, he was descending to traffic pattern altitude when, as he was passing through about 650 feet AGL, the engine sustained a fuel starvation power loss. He noted that the left tank was selected and that the right tank was 3/4 full, but he said that he did not have enough time to switch tanks. He subsequently executed a forced landing into trees. Examination of the wreckage confirmed the pilot's statements with regard to the fuel quantity and selector configuration. No fuel was found in the left fuel tank.
Factual narrative
On September 23, 1993, approximately 1515 central daylight time, a Fairchild M-62A, N261A, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near San Antonio, Texas. The airplane was on a cross country ferry flight. There was no flight plan filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot received minor injuries.
According to the pilot, he was descending to land at San Antonio's Stinson Field after what he described as "a long circular route" from San Marcos, Texas. He stated that during the descent, a power loss occurred as he was passing through 1,200 feet MSL (650 feet AGL). He noted that the right tank was 3/4 full and that he had the left tank selected, but, he did not have time to switch tanks. He subsequently executed a forced landing into trees. Examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector was positioned on the left tank, which was found empty. The right tank was found 3/4 full.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N261A
- Reported as
- Fairchild M-62A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T434383
- Airframe hours
- 1,937
- Engine
- Ranger L-440-3, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- American Airpower Heritage
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 26, 1993 · 24 hours before
- Departed
- T98 · San Marcos, TX
- Destination
- SSF
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,650 total · 11 in this make and model · 2,595 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SSF, 1 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.