# NTSB FTW96LA249: American General AG-5B, N115JE, Tulsa, OK, June 15, 1996 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 14, 1996, 23:45 local (Jun 15, 1996, 04:45 UTC) - Place: Tulsa, OK - Coordinates: 36.049602, -96.020393 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0496&lon=-96.0204&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 4, 1996 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 19863 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW96LA249 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/19863/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW96LA249 ## Probable cause the pilot's improper planning/decision, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power, due to an inadequate supply of fuel. Darkness was a related factor. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, approach - planning/decision - improper, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - fuel supply - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fatigue(flight and ground schedule), pilot in command - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - On ground/water collision with object, emergency landing - light condition - night (contributing factor) - object - fence ## Analysis While on an IFR flight to ferry the airplane from Colorado to Florida, the pilot made an unscheduled stop at Hill City, Ks. He then took off from Hill City without refueling and proceeded to the next stop at Tulsa, Ok. During a night approach to land at Tulsa, the engine lost power. The pilot executed the emergency procedures, but managed to reestablish power only momentarily. He elected to make a forced landing in an unlit city park. During the landing, the airplane collided with a chain link fence. Examination of the fuel cells revealed that the right fuel cell, which was selected during the emergency landing, was empty. At the time of the accident, the pilot had been on travel status for 18 hours. ## Factual narrative On June 14, 1996, at 2345 central daylight time, an American General AG-5B, N115JE, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of power near Tulsa, Oklahoma. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane, owned and operated by a private individual, was being ferried at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the night ferry flight for which an IFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Crosson Field Airport, in Sterling, Colorado, at 1630 mountain daylight time. According to the FAA inspector, the pilot made an unscheduled stop at Hill City, Kansas, to evaluate and update the weather. After 90 minutes on the ground, the pilot continued his planned flight to the Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. Airport (RVS), near Tulsa, without refueling the airplane. According to law enforcement personnel at the accident site, the airplane was approaching RVS for landing when Tulsa Tower instructed the pilot to slow down for spacing with other IFR traffic landing at RVS. During the approach, at approximately 2,500 feet, the engine lost power. At the time, the engine was being fed from the left fuel cell. The pilot selected the right fuel cell and the engine regained power momentarily, then quit. The pilot executed a forced landing to an unlit city park. The airplane impacted a chain link fence during the emergency landing resulting in damage to both wings, the fuselage and two landing gears. According to the owner, he purchased the 1993 model airplane 3 days prior to the accident, but was unable to pick up the airplane due to other personal commitments. The pilot was hired to fly to Colorado via commercial airlines to pick up the airplane and ferry it back to Boca Raton, Florida. The owner stated that the pilot had flown a total of 4.1 hours prior to the forced landing. The owner further stated that the airplane was equipped with a 51 gallon usable fuel system. Examination of the aircraft at the accident site by airport recovery personnel revealed that no usable fuel was found in the right fuel cell. This finding was later verified by the FAA inspector when he examined the wreckage at the parking ramp at RVS Airport. The investigation revealed that at the time of the accident, the pilot had been on travel status for approximately 18 hours. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N115JE](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N115JE), registered now, S/N 10154, built 1993 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: American General Aircraft AG-5B - Registry model: [American General Acft AG5B](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-general-acft-ag5b) (registry code 3990100) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 10154 - Airframe hours: 87 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A4K 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Ferry, Part 91 - Registered owner: Marc F. Laffer - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 12, 1996, 4 hours before - Departed: HLC, STERLING, CO - Destination: RVS - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: RVS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 24; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 817 total, 33 in this make and model, 600 as pilot in command, 148 in the last 90 days, 13 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 120° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: TUL, 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19960614013939A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960614013939A), Jun 14, 1996: Amrgen AG5B, Tulsa, OK, Substantial damage. Ran out of fuel on night approach. Landed city park. Struck chain link fence. Failed refuel at en route stop. (-23) on June 14, 1996 at 16:30 MDT, an AG-5B… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.