N93AN

Substantial
Serious

PITTS S2B S/N: 5283

Accident Details

Date
Wednesday, April 27, 1994
NTSB Number
BFO94LA079
Location
WILLIAMSTOWN, NJ
Event ID
20001206X01059
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
2
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
2

Probable Cause and Findings

the pilot's failure to accurately determine the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N93AN
Make
PITTS
Serial Number
5283
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Model / ICAO
S2B PTS2
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1

Analysis

On April 27, 1994, about 1425 eastern daylight time, a Pitts S2B, N93AN, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Williamstown, New Jersey. The pilot and passenger received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. There was no flight plan for the flight being conducted under CFR Part 91.

In the NTSB form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated,

I departed Wilmington, DE (ILG) with one passenger, Diana Combs, at approximately 1410 local time for a VFR flight to the east (intended destination: Old Bridge, New Jersey (3N6). Indicated fuel at start-up was approximately 5/8th main tank (auxiliary tank empty). Upon completing leaning procedure after level-off from initial climb to 2500 feet MSL, I performed a routine instrument check and noted the fuel level to indicate approximately 1/8th. I elected to land at the closest airport, which was Cross Keys, NJ (17N), straight ahead at approximately 12 nautical miles. Powerplant failure occurred approximately 2 miles west of Cross Keys, and I executed a forced landing in a farm field.

Post accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector revealed that the fuel tanks were empty. Additionally, the examination revealed no defects.

An engine test run was performed by Textron Lycoming under the supervision of a FAA Inspector. In the report of the engine test run results, submitted by the FAA Inspector, it stated, "This engine met all new engine test parameters, as no fault in the engine could be found."

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# BFO94LA079