- Date
- May 6, 1996, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- El Paso, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N427CStinson 108-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 23, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960506009529A
- Case key
- 19830
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 inflight planning/decision, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing. A factor relating to the accident was: the unfavorable en route wind.
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
The pilot reported that at takeoff, he had 50 gallons of fuel on board. According to his calculations, the 50 gallons would allow a 4.6 hour flight, and his flight was planned to take 4.1 hours. The pilot reported that en route, he encountered wind which caused the estimated time of flight to extend to 4.7 hours. The airplane ran out of fuel approximately 8 miles from the destination airport. The pilot landed on a dirt road. Approximately 300 feet from the touchdown point, the road dropped slightly, and the airplane bounced. The airplane struck a small tree before coming to rest on its nose.
Factual narrative
On May 06, 1996, at 1100 mountain daylight time, a Stinson 108-2, N427C, registered to and operated by a private owner under Title 14 CFR Part 91, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near El Paso, Texas. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross country flight that originated in Abilene, Texas, at 0620. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight.
The pilot reported that at takeoff, he had 50 gallons of fuel on board. According to his calculations, the 50 gallons would allow a 4.6 hour flight, and his flight was planned to take 4.1 hours. The pilot reported that en route, he encountered wind which caused the estimated time of flight to extend to 4.7 hours. The airplane ran out of fuel approximately 8 miles from the destination airport.
The pilot landed on a dirt road. Approximately 300 feet from the touchdown point, the road dropped slightly, and the airplane bounced. The airplane struck a small tree before coming to rest on its nose. The airplane sustained structural damage at the left gear attachment point.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N427C
- Reported as
- Stinson 108-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1083427
- Engine
- Franklin 6A4-165-B3, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James A. Chandler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 3, 1996 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- ABI · Abilene, TX
- Destination
- ELP · TX
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 563 total · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 100 °F, dew point 86 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ELP, 8 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.