- Date
- May 7, 1991, 15:23 local (19:23 UTC)
- Place
- Piqua, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N222SVCessna 414A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910507014409A
- Case key
- 36920
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 incomplete preflight of the fuel quantity and the inaccurate fuel gages, which resulted in fuel starvation and total loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing on rough terrain. Factors relating to the accident were the pilot's improper inflight fuel management procedures and his lack of experience in this airplane.
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.
Analysis
The pilot was practicing landings on his first solo flight in this model airplane. On final approach, at approximately 700 feet above the ground, both engines quit. He landed the airplane in a field short of the runway, causing substantial damage. During the investigation, the pilot stated, 'I did not check the fuel tanks visually.' He also said, 'I did not use the auxiliary fuel boost pumps.' The investigation revealed the right main fuel tank had 3/4 of a gallon and the left main fuel tank had 3 1/4 gallons. The investigation also revealed the right fuel tank gage read approximately 25 gallons high, and the left main fuel tank gage read approximately 15 gallons high. The Cessna flight handbook, before landing checklist states in part: item #4, auxiliary fuel boost pumps on. The airplane manufacturer says without using the auxiliary fuel boost pumps, any interruption of the fuel supply can cause the engine to experience fuel exhaustion.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N222SV
- Reported as
- Cessna 414A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 414-0164
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-JCN, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- K.K. Leasing, Inc.
- Registered owner
- [K.K. Leasing, Inc.
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- I65 · Richmond, IN
- Airport
- I17 · Piqua
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 716 total · 11 in this make and model · 589 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.