Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
Wednesday, August 24, 1994 16:18 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AS HE WAS CRUISING AT 6500 FEET WITH A POWER SETTING OF 2400 RPM AND 22 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE. DURING A SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING ON A ROAD, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A SIGN, DITCH, AND TREE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE FLIGHT, HE USED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK FOR THE FIRST HOUR AND THEN THE LEFT TANK FOR TWO HOURS, BEFORE HE SWITCHED BACK TO THE RIGHT TANK. HE STATED THAT WHEN HE SWITCHED BACK TO THE RIGHT TANK, THE FUEL GAGES INDICATED 36 AND 108 LBS, RESPECTIVELY, IN THE LEFT AND RIGHT TANKS. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED, BUT ABOUT 3 MINUTES LATER, A POWER LOSS OCCURRED AGAIN, THEN THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY AND THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE. TACHOMETER INFORMATION SHOWED THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OPERATED 4.1 HOURS. BASED ON FULL FUEL TANKS AND THE PILOT'S REPORTED CRUISE ALTITUDE/POWER SETTING, THE AIRPLANE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FLY FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT 5.4 HOURS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

fuel exhaustion for undetermined reason(s), which resulted in loss of engine power and a subsequent forced landing. A factor relating to the accident was: faulty fuel quantity gauge/system.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/24/1994
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1618
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City BOWLING GREEN
Event State OHIO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 43402
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1626 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 310
Weather Observation Facility ID TOL
Elevation of weather observation facility 643
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 14
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 15000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 28
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 200
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1691
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 24 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2030
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 11:57AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3916N
NTSB Number BFO94LA149
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name MOONEY
Aircraft Model M20G
Aircraft Series Identifier M20G
Aircraft Serial Number 680061
Certified Max Gross Weight 2550
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 1 1994 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 81
Airframe Hours 2197
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JAMES WILLIAM BEAUCHAMP
Aircraft Owner Street Address RT 1 BOX 230A
Aircraft Owner City CORA PEAKE
Aircraft Owner State NC
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 27926
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JAMES WILLIAM BEAUCHAMP
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address RT 1 BOX 230A
Operator City CORA PEAKE
Operator State NC
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 27926
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 SFQ
Departure City SUFFOLK
Departure State VA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1230
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code TOL
Destination City TOLEDO
Destination State OH
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Emergency landing
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 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --