Defiance Memorial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Defiance, Ohio 43512
Saturday, March 19, 1994 13:55 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN ON FINAL APPROACH FLYING IN AN ERRATIC MANNER AT A LOW ALTITUDE. TWO WITNESSES RIDING IN A CAR WROTE THEY SAW THE AIRPLANE, 'GOING UP AND DOWN TOWARD THE GROUND. WE COULD HEAR A FAINT CLICKING NOISE, AND THE PROPELLERS WERE GOING AROUND SLOWLY.' THE WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE TAKE 'A SHORT NOSEDIVE AND CRASHED.' THEY WROTE THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT TRAVELING 'VERY FAST AND IT WS PRETTY LEVEL TO THE GROUND.' THE WITNESSES COULD NOT HEAR THE ENGINES BECAUSE THEY WERE IN A CAR. ACCORDING TO FUEL RECORDS, THE PILOT OF N1576T PUT 112 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE ON MARCH 17, 1994, AND THE FLIGHT STARTED AT 1030 ON MARCH 19, 1994. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT 1355, FOR A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF 3 HOURS AND 25 MINUTES. USING FUEL CONSUMPTION DATA FOR THIS AIRCRAFT IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT FUEL EXHAUSTION WOULD OCCUR AFTER 3 HOURS AND 4 MINUTES OF FLIGHT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inadequate inflight decision and planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the total loss of engine power.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/19/1994
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1355
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City DEFIANCE
Event State OHIO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 43512
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport DEFIANCE MEMORIAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID DFE
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 2
Degrees magnetic from airport 120
Airport Elevation 707
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 6
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -4
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 260
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 592
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 19 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1600
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 10:51AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1576T
NTSB Number NYC94FA067
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 414
Aircraft Series Identifier 414
Aircraft Serial Number 4140356
Certified Max Gross Weight 6350
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 7
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Apr 13 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 10
Airframe Hours 2094
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name E. JAMES HOGAN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 550 STONEHENGE DR.
Aircraft Owner City LITITZ
Aircraft Owner State PA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 17543
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code LNC
Departure City LANCASTER
Departure State PA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1030
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code DFE
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 30
Runway Length 4200
Runway Width 72
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --