- Date
- November 2, 1997, 17:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Injuries
- 7 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N69312Cessna 402B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 10, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971102031669A
- Case key
- 38423
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's improper management of fuel resulting in a total loss of engine power on both engines due to fuel exhaustion.
Analysis
The pilot was on approach for landing when the right main landing gear did not indicate that it was down. The pilot made a go-around and remained in left closed traffic performing emergency gear extension procedures with negative results. The pilot departed closed traffic and proceeded off shore to burn off fuel before attempting an emergency landing. A company airplane was dispatched to verify the landing gear position. The pilot started a straight in approach for landing five miles from the airport. The right engine started surging and quit. The left engine started surging one mile from the runway. He switched fuel tanks. The engine started and quit. He made a forced landing straight ahead and collided with runway approach lights about 1/4 mile from the end of the runway. The pilot stated he ran out of fuel.
Factual narrative
On November 2, 1997, about 1745 eastern standard time, a Cessna 402B, N69312, registered to Donovan Aircraft Inc., leased to Air Flight, operating as a 14 CFR Part 135 passenger flight, crashed on a visual approach to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The airline transport pilot and six passengers reported no injuries. The flight originated from Andros Town, Bahamas, about 1 hour 50 minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated he departed Fort Lauderdale with about 3 hours 30 minutes of fuel and made two intermediate stops before returning to Fort Lauderdale. No fuel was purchased. While making a visual approach to runway 27 left at Fort Lauderdale, he noticed the right main landing gear did not indicate that it was down. He notified tower, initiated a go-around, remained in left closed traffic, and performed the emergency procedures with negative results. Tower was informed that he was departing closed traffic and that he would circle offshore to burn fuel and contact his company operations. Another company airplane was dispatched to his location and verified the landing gear problem. The pilot started an approach to runway 27 left. The right engine started to surge about 5 miles from the runway. He switched the fuel tanks to crossfeed, and the engine quit. The left engine started surging about 1 mile from the end of the runway. He switched the fuel tanks to the left auxiliary fuel tank. The engine started to run and quit. The pilot made a forced landing straight ahead and collided with approach lights about 1/4 mile from the end of the runway. The pilot stated to the FAA, "I ran out of fuel."
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N69312
- Reported as
- Cessna 402B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 402B0430
- Airframe hours
- 7,482
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520E, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Air Flight
- Registered owner
- Donovan Aircraft Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 21, 1997 · 95 hours before
- Departed
- MYAF · Andros Town, OF
- Destination
- FLL · FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- FLL · Ft Lauderdale-Hollywood
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
- 37
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,017 total · 2,175 in this make and model · 4,936 as pilot in command · 156 in the last 90 days · 59 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Observed at
- FLL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.