Summary
On December 09, 2009, a Rockwell International 114 (N5872N) was involved in an incident near Birmingham, AL. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning.
The pilot stated that he was conducting an instrument-flight-rules flight with an estimated flight time of 1 hour and 33 minutes. He encountered unanticipated headwinds along the route of flight, and as he neared his destination airport he learned that weather conditions had deteriorated below minimums. The pilot diverted to a nearby airport, but was unable to complete the approach due to a windshear encounter. He then diverted to a third airport and reported that he was concerned about the airplane's available fuel. The pilot again aborted his first approach due to a windshear encounter and during a subsequent approach the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field prior to the runway.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA10CA093. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5872N.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot stated that he was conducting an instrument-flight-rules flight with an estimated flight time of 1 hour and 33 minutes. He encountered unanticipated headwinds along the route of flight, and as he neared his destination airport he learned that weather conditions had deteriorated below minimums. The pilot diverted to a nearby airport, but was unable to complete the approach due to a windshear encounter. He then diverted to a third airport and reported that he was concerned about the airplane's available fuel. The pilot again aborted his first approach due to a windshear encounter and during a subsequent approach the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field prior to the runway. The airplane's nose and left main landing gears collapsed upon contact with a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA10CA093