# NTSB MIA02LA126: Rockwell International 112TC, N4561W, Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean), July 3, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 3, 2002, 14:40 local (18:40 UTC) - Place: Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean) - Coordinates: 37.634273, -72.860717 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.6343&lon=-72.8607&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 28, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA International Field Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 55175 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA02LA126 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55175/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55175 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA02LA126 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper planning/decision and insufficient refueling which resulted in the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the aircraft being ditched in the ocean. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - normal - planning/decision - improper, pilot in command (cause) - refueling - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion - Ditching, emergency descent/landing ## Analysis The pilot stated that he had 55 gallons of fuel on the airplane, when he departed Spruce Creek Airport. He said he determined the fuel quantity based on the fuel level with respect to the metal tab in the tank, and that he flew the airplane to Daytona Beach International Airport, where he loaded passengers and baggage, and then flew to Marsh Harbour, Bahamas. The pilot further stated that the flight was longer than planned because a waypoint had not been entered in the GPS unit, and he flew past Marsh Harbour, and as a result, when he landed, he refueled in Marsh Harbour, putting 10 gallons of fuel in the fuel tank. According to the pilot, he operated the airplane at about 65 % power with the rpms between 2350 and 2400, the manifold pressure at 32 inches of Hg, and that the winds were minimal for both the flight to, and the flight from Marsh Harbour. He said that about 10 to 12 miles from the shore, while on the return flight from Marsh Harbour the engine ceased operating and he ditched the airplane in the Atlantic Ocean. The owner said that the airplane had 50 gallons of fuel on board when it departed Spruce Creek Airport, and that the pilot's fuel consumption calculations were erroneous, with fuel consumption for the airplane at best economy cruise and best power being about 13.5 gals/hour, and 14.5 gals/hr respectively. The owner further stated that the pilot did not anticipate the additional 23% fuel that he needed to complete the flight. Information obtained from FAA Miami Air Traffic Control showed that at 1434:21, a communications transmission was made to ATC during which the person stated, "We are out of fuel." ## Factual narrative On July 3, 2002, about 1440, eastern daylight time, a Rockwell Commander 112TC, N4561W, registered to Alpha Aircraft Sales and Leasing Inc., and operated by a private individual as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, ditched into the Atlantic Ocean, about 10 to 12 miles east of Stuart, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed, and the commercial-rated pilot and one pilot-rated passenger, received no injuries. The flight originated from Marsh Harbour Airport, Bahamas, the same day, about 1310. The pilot said he departed from Spruce Creek Airport about 0840, with about 55 gallons of fuel on board the airplane, and flew to Daytona Beach International Airport where he loaded his friends along with their baggage. He said he then flew from Daytona Beach, departing at 0930, for Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, arriving there about 1215. While en route to Marsh Harbour, he said his cruising altitude was 11,000 feet, and the Global Positioning System (GPS) unit showed a ground speed of 125 knots. He also said he operated the airplane at a power setting between 2,350 and 2,400 rpms, with a manifold pressure of 32 inches Hg, which he said equates to about 65 percent power. He said he had been airborne for a longer time than he had planned, since a waypoint for Marsh Harbour had not been entered into the GPS. After landing at Marsh Harbour the pilot said he refueled the airplane, adding 10 gallons of fuel to ensure enough fuel for his return flight to Fort Pierce, Florida. He said he departed from Marsh Harbour at 1310, and climbed to 12,000 feet, again operating the airplane at 65 percent power, with an initial ground speed of 115 knots, but also said that later the ground speed varied between 135 and 140 knots. He further said that on both the flight to and from Marsh Harbour the winds had not been significant. According to the pilot, about 50 minutes after departure he noticed that the gauges showed that the airplane's left fuel tank contained substantially more fuel than the right fuel tank, so he switched the fuel selector from the "both" position to the "left" position. He further stated that about 1445, after having descended from 10,000 feet, and while at 4,000 feet, the airplane's engine began to cease operating. He said he and his passenger attempted to restart the engine, and turned the airplane toward a westerly heading to get over land as soon as possible. At 1446, he said he contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) with a request, told them his fuel state, and that he needed to head towards land as soon as possible, and at 1450, ditched the airplane in the Atlantic Ocean. The pilot said that he did not "dip" the tanks to verify the fuel quantity at any time, but he visually inspected the tanks, approximating the fuel quantity, based on his perceived position of the fuel level relative to the metal tab in the tank. He said the owner had fueled the airplane at Spruce Creek Airport, to a fuel level 1 inch above the metal tabs which the owner said represented 55 gallons of fuel in the tank. The owner of the airplane provided information to the NTSB indicating that the airplane had 50 gallons of fuel on board, and that the fuel consumption should have been about 13.5 gal/hour at 70 to 75 percent power for best economy cruise, and about 14.0 to 14.5 gal/hour if the pilot had not leaned for best economy cruise, but operated at best power settings. The owner further stated that the pilot did not anticipate the additional 23 percent of fuel needed at best power, and therefore did not have enough fuel on board to complete the flight. (See owner's statement). Information obtained from FAA Miami ATC, showed that at 1434:21, ATC received a radio communications transmission from a person on N4561W stating, "We are out of fuel." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4561W](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4561W-2017-07-18), registration cancelled 2017-07-18, S/N 13051, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Rockwell International 112TC - Registry model: [Rockwell International 112TC](https://openairdocs.org/model/rockwell-international-112tc) (registry code 7630306) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (registry code 41515, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 13051 - Airframe hours: 2233 - Engines: Lycoming 10360 SER BEF 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Alpha Aircraft Sales & Leasing INC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, May 7, 2002, 74 hours before - Departed: MYAM, Marsh Harbor - Destination: FPR, Fort Pierce, FL - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 24; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 570 total, 10 in this make and model, 500 as pilot in command, 50 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours - Other flight crew; age 30; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; seat: right; flight hours: 340 total, 1 in this make and model, 257 as pilot in command, 15 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 130° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 5,000 ft broken - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: SUA, 16 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 20020703025669A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020703025669A), Jul 3, 2002: Gulstm 112TC, Stuart, FL, Destroyed. (.4) The pilot stated that he had 55 gallons of fuel on the airplane, when he departed spruce creek airport. He said he determined the fuel quantity based on… ## Other investigations on N4561W (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 IAD77DLJ15](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD77DLJ15), May 21, 1977: Rockwell 112TC (N4561W), Wilmington, NC, substantial damage ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 7, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55175. 2.6 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40460699&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Reports from Federal Agencies: Coast Guard Case Information (item 2, .PDF, 918 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40460700&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Reports%20from%20Federal%20Agencies%3A%20Coast%20Guard%20Case%20Information-Master.PDF - Transcript of Radio Communications: Working Draft of FAA Transcript (item 3, .PDF, 88 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40460701&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Transcript%20of%20Radio%20Communications%3A%20Working%20Draft%20of%20FAA%20Transcript-Master.PDF - Miscellaneous: Aircraft Owner's Statement (item 4, .PDF, 531 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40164353&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Miscellaneous%3A%20Aircraft%20Owner%27s%20Statement-Redacted.PDF 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.