- Date
- March 17, 2015, 11:05 local (15:05 UTC)
- Place
- New Market, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N900TMBeech A36
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA Indianapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150317003089A
- Case key
- 90941
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 fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and a loss of engine power en-route.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that the airplane was being ferried for maintenance of its fuel system. About 15 minutes into the flight, the pilot reported that he intentionally emptied the right main fuel tank to facilitate maintenance at the destination airport. Subsequently, the airplane lost engine power and he maneuvered the airplane for landing in an open field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right rear wing spar. According to a Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector who examined the airplane at the accident site, the fuel tanks were found void of fuel. The right tip tank had some fuel, but no usable fuel.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the airplane was being ferried for maintenance of its fuel system. About 15 minutes into the flight, the pilot reported that he intentionally emptied the right main fuel tank to facilitate maintenance at the destination airport. Subsequently, the airplane lost engine power and he maneuvered the airplane for landing in an open field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right rear wing spar. According to a Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector who examined the airplane at the accident site, the fuel tanks were found void of fuel. The right tip tank had some fuel, but no usable fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N900TM
- Reported as
- Beech A36 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E-1302
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 7,389
- Engine
- Continental IO-550, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 2, 2014 · 131 hours before
- Departed
- BAK · Columbus, IN
- Destination
- CFJ · Crawfordsville, IN
- Airport
- CFJ · Crawfordsville Muni, runway 04, 4,504 × 75 ft, dirt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, Auto-pilot
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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 30, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 8,273 total · 138 in this make and model · 7,609 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 16 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- KLAF, 28 nm away
Docket · 10
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 26, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 17.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.