Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the pilot's inadequate fuel consumption calculations and failure to ensure the aircraft contained an adequate amount of fuel to complete the flight, which resulted in loss of engine power because of fuel exhaustion. Uneven terrain in the emergency landing area was a related factor.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On November 20, 1996, about 1110 eastern standard time, a Cessna A188B, N53319, registered to individuals, crashed while making a forced landing following loss of engine power at Ocilla, Georgia, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the commercial-rated pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Ocilla, Georgia, the same day, about 0910.
The pilot stated to an FAA inspector that he had been flying for about 2 hours and that he had about 30 gallons of fuel at departure. While returning to his strip after chemical application, the engine sputtered and quit. While making a forced landing in a rough field the aircraft nosed over.
Postcrash examination of the crash site by FAA inspectors showed that there was no fuel in the aircraft and no evidence of fuel leakage from the aircraft. There was no fuel in the fuel manifold valve. There was no evidence of fuel line blockage or fuel system malfunction. The engine was started and operated to full power with no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction. A representative of Continental Engines stated the engine consumes about 17 to 18 gallon per hour at 2,500 rpm and 25 inches of manifold pressure.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# MIA97LA027