# NTSB LAX97LA157: de Havilland DHC-6-300, N242CA, Hilo, HI, April 13, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 12, 1997, 22:04 local (Apr 13, 1997, 08:04 UTC) - Place: Hilo, HI - Coordinates: 19.690948, -155.080841 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=19.6909&lon=-155.0808&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor - Status: Completed, report May 21, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 29770 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX97LA157 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/29770/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97LA157 ## Probable cause the pilot's inadequate en route fuel consumption calculations, which led to his failure to recognize a deteriorating fuel duration versus time-to-go situation in a more timely way. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Miscellaneous/other, cruise - weather condition - unfavorable wind (contributing factor) - fuel consumption calculations - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - low level - Ditching, emergency landing ## Analysis On a ferry flight from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, the pilot declared a low fuel emergency and diverted toward Hilo, Hawaii. Approximately 2.5 hours later, the aircraft was ditched in the Pacific ocean. The pilot evacuated the aircraft before it sank and was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. He stated that, under flight planned conditions, the aircraft departed Oakland with sufficient fuel onboard to reach the intended destination with a 2-hour fuel reserve. However, the winds at flight altitude, which were reported as light and variable at the preflight weather briefing, developed into a significant headwind during the flight. At a point 7 hours and 10 minutes into the flight, the pilot determined that his fuel remaining was 8 hours and 40 minutes, with 7 hours and 40 minutes remaining to destination. Three hours later, the pilot determined that his 2-hour reserve was gone. He declared an emergency and diverted toward the closest airport, which was Hilo. Prior to fuel system exhaustion, the pilot elected to ditch the aircraft with power. ## Factual narrative On April 12, 1997, at 2204 hours Hawaiian standard time, the pilot of a DeHavilland DHC-6-300, N242CA, ditched the aircraft in the Pacific ocean approximately 63 nautical miles northeast of Hilo, Hawaii, after declaring a low fuel emergency on a ferry flight. The pilot evacuated the aircraft before it sank and was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. He was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for minor injuries. The aircraft departed Oakland, California, at 1050 hours Pacific daylight time on an instrument flight plan to Honolulu, Hawaii. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aircraft was equipped with four ferry fuel tanks in addition to the normal forward and aft internal aircraft tanks. The ferry tanks had a total capacity of 900 U.S. gallons and the normal fuel system had a capacity of 366 gallons. All four ferry tanks could be individually selected to gravity feed into either the forward or aft aircraft tank but were not instrumented for total fuel capacity. The pilot stated that all fuel tanks were filled to capacity prior to departure. Brent's International, Inc., in Hayward, California, installed the ferry tank system which was inspected by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Oakland, California. A special airworthiness certificate for the ferry flight was then issued on April 10, 1997. After installation of the ferry tank system, the pilot flew the aircraft from Hayward to Oakland. While en route, each ferry tank was individually selected and fuel flow into the main aircraft tanks was verified. An additional test flight to check the ferry tank system for function and leaks was performed on April 11, 1997. The pilot stated that the system performed in a nominal manner. According to the FAA ferry permit for this flight, the maximum authorized takeoff gross weight was 16,250 pounds (130 percent CTOW). The maximum quantity of fuel authorized for the ferry tank system was not to exceed 900 U.S. gallons, and the allowable center of gravity envelope was from 203.84 inches to 216.32 inches aft of the standard datum plane. In addition, the aircraft maximum operating speed (Vmo) was limited to 136 knots indicated airspeed and structural load factors of +2.5g and -1.0g were not to be exceeded. A temporary weight & balance form was prepared by the company that installed the ferry tank system which indicated that, fully loaded with pilot, baggage, and full fuel onboard, the aircraft weighed 15,866 pounds with a center of gravity location at 208.65 inches aft of the standard datum plane. This placed the aircraft at 126.93 percent of its normally certified maximum takeoff weight. The pilot estimated that the no wind en route flight time for the ferry flight was 16.0 hours which, by his calculations, left a 2.0 hour fuel reserve at long range cruise power settings. The proposed route of flight from Oakland to Honolulu was approximately 2,250 nautical miles with en route flight altitude winds forecast to be light and variable. In his written report to the Safety Board, the pilot said that after 7 hours and 10 minutes of flight time, the estimated time to fuel depletion was found to be 8 hours and 40 minutes, with a time to go to destination of 7 hours and 40 minutes. Three hours later, the pilot determined that he was fuel critical due to unforecast headwinds. He declared a low fuel emergency and changed his intended destination to Hilo, Hawaii. He also requested Coast Guard assistance at that time. Approximately 4 hours later, the pilot elected to ditch under power rather than remain airborne until fuel depletion. The pilot stated in his report of accident that there was no apparent malfunction of the aircraft or ferry tank fuel systems, and that he believed that unforecast headwinds were the primary cause of fuel depletion prior to reaching a suitable landing site. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N242CA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N242CA-1998-04-09), registration cancelled 1998-04-09, S/N 342 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: de Havilland DHC-6-300 - Registry model: [Dehavilland DHC-6-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/dehavilland-dhc-6-300) (registry code 2802630) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 342 - Airframe hours: 9873 - Engines: P&W PT6A-27 680 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Ferry, Part 91 - Registered owner: Lops Partnership - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Special flight (Special) - Last inspection: 100 hour, April 8, 1997, 2 hours before - Departed: OAK, OAKLAND, CA - Destination: HNL, HONOLULU, HI - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 63; airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 25,000 total, 1,000 in this make and model, 12,000 as pilot in command, 65 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 11 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 260° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 26,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 66 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: ITO, 63 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 19970413005799A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970413005799A), Apr 13, 1997: Dhav DHC6300, Hilo, HI, Destroyed. Misjudged head winds on ocean ferry flight. Became low fuel status. Ditched 63 mi short destination Hilo hi. ## Other investigations on N242CA (1) 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. - [NTSB DEN91LA082](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN91LA082), Jun 12, 1991: Boeing DHC-6-300 (N242CA), Denver, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PERFORM AN ADEQUATE PREFLIGHT, I.E., NOT FOLLOWING THE CHECK LIST AND THE NORMAL BRAKE SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE AS A RESULT OF NO HYDRAULIC SYSTEM PRESSURE (HYDRAULIC SYSTEM… 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.