Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Gastonia Municipal Airpor Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gastonia, North Carolina 28052
Tuesady, November 29, 1994 17:05 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING A RETURN FLIGHT FROM TEXAS. WHILE MANEUVERING FOR THE VISUAL APPROACH TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE ENGINE QUIT, AND THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A MULTI-FAMILY APARTMENT BUILDING DURING AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. EXAMINATION OF REFUELING RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE PILOT'S LAST REFUELING STOP WAS 360 MILES SOUTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. A REVIEW OF PREVIOUS LEGS DISCLOSED THAT THE PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN MORE THAN 326 MILES ON ANY SEGMENT BEFORE A PLANNED REFUELING STOP. THE FLIGHT PLAN ALSO INDICATED THAT THE ACTUAL FUEL CONSUMPTION FOR A 292 MILE LEG WAS 20 GALLONS; THE PILOT HAD ESTIMATED FUEL CONSUMPTION OF 14 GALLONS FOR THE SAME SEGMENT OR SIX GALLONS LESS THAN THE ACTUAL CONSUMPTION. ON THE RETURN LEG TO GASTONIA, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED LOW CEILINGS AND RAIN SHOWERS. A FEW OUNCES OF FUEL WERE RECOVERED FROM THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM, AND THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS INDICATION OF FUEL SPILLAGE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. FUEL CONSERVATION MEASURES USED BY THE PILOT WERE NOT DETERMINED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY PLAN THE FUEL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FLIGHT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION, AND THE SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT ALSO FAILED TO MAINTAIN FLYING AIRSPEED WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL, DURING THE EMERGENCY DESCENT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/29/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1705 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | GASTONIA |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28052 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | GASTONIA MUNICIPAL AIRPOR |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 0A6 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 7 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | 797 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1652 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CLT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 749 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1100 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1863 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 29 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1751 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9260L |
| NTSB Number | ATL95FA022 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | American Aviation Corp. (AAC) |
| Aircraft Model | AA-1A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AA-1A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | AA-1A0160 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1560 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 12 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 21 |
| Airframe Hours | 1850 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NORRIS, LARRY R. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 501 WEST HENRY STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | BELMONT |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 28012 |
| 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 | 3R9 |
| Departure City | LAKEWAY |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | OA6 |
| 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 | 21 |
| Runway Length | 3490 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |