- Date
- April 5, 2016, 01:00 local (06:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hulbert, OK
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5791VBeech A23
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report June 1, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160405003279A
- Case key
- 92960
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 inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and collision with terrain.
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 about 5 hours into a night cross country flight the engine started running rough. He switched between the left and right fuel tanks several times, adjusted the mixture, but was unsuccessful in correcting the issue. The pilot further reported that he knew that he would not make it to the nearest airport, so he turned on his landing light and looked for a place to land. The pilot landed the airplane in a pond, and came to rest on the shore. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination revealed that the right and left fuel tanks were empty. According to the pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that about 5 hours into a night cross country flight the engine started running rough. He switched between the left and right fuel tanks several times, adjusted the mixture, but was unsuccessful in correcting the issue. The pilot further reported that he knew that he would not make it to the nearest airport, so he turned on his landing light and looked for a place to land. The pilot landed the airplane in a pond, and came to rest on the shore. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination revealed that the right and left fuel tanks were empty. According to the pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5791V
- Reported as
- Beech A23 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-971
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 4,516.24
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-346-A, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 2015
- Departed
- MDQ · Huntsville, AL
- Destination
- 1H6 · Tulsa, OK
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Stall warning system
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
- 59
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 152 total · 98 in this make and model · 124 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 90° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KTQH, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 24, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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.
Other investigations on N5791V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.