- Date
- August 6, 1992, 12:09 local (16:09 UTC)
- Place
- Caldwell, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N87JGJohn K. Groff JR. Q-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920806029529A
- Case key
- 37194
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 failure of the pilot to monitor his fuel supply which resulted in the power loss. A factor in the accident was unsuitable terrain.
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 failed to activate the fuel transfer pump after takeoff and upon arrival at his destination, he experienced a power loss due to fuel starvation during a go-around. The airplane uses a 5 gallon header tank to gravity feed the engine. According to the pilot the airplane uses 5 gallons of fuel between Mt. Holly, new jersey, and Caldwell, new jersey. On scene examination by the FAA found the main and auxiliary fuel tanks ruptured, and the header fuel tank empty and not ruptured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N87JG
- Reported as
- John K. Groff JR. Q-2
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2627
- Airframe hours
- 294
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John K. Groff Jr
- Registered owner
- John K. Groff Jr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 21, 1992 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- 7MY · Mount Holly, NJ
- Airport
- CDW · Essex County, runway 22, 4,553 × 80 ft, asphalt
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 410 total · 294 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CDW, 1 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.