Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kent, Washington 98032
Sunday, December 4, 1994 15:40 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE FUEL-INJECTED ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS DESCENDING THROUGH 3,000 FEET MSL FOR LANDING. THINKING THAT HE HAD DEPLETED ONE OF THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TANKS, HE SWITCHED TANKS AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITHOUT ACTIVATING THE FUEL BOOST PUMP AS PER THE AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL. THE ENGINE DID NOT START AND THE AIRPLANE WAS FORCE LANDED. IT IMPACTED A BERM AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. EVIDENCE OF SOME USABLE FUEL WAS FOUND IN BOTH TANKS. AN ESTIMATED 55 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS CONSUMED SINCE THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST REFUELED; THE AIRPLANE HOLDS 60 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL. NO STANDING FUEL WAS FOUND IN ANY OF THE ENGINE FUEL COMPONENTS. ACCORDING TO THE AIRPLANE MANUFACTURER, THE 'CRITICAL ATTITUDE' FOR DETERMINING USABLE FUEL QUANTITY IS 'NOSE DOWN.' AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL EVIDENCE OF ANY MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES. THE AIRPLANE HAD PREVIOUS DISCREPANCIES WITH ITS FUEL SYSTEM, BUT THEY WERE RESOLVED PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FUEL STARVATION DUE TO THE UNPORTING OF THE USEABLE FUEL SUPPLY, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE AIRPLANE'S PUBLISHED ENGINE STARTING PROCEDURES AFTER THE LOSS OF FUEL FLOW DURING DESCENT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT ARE THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPLANE, AND A BERM.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/4/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1540 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | KENT |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98032 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1550 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 300 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SEA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 429 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| 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) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2012 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 4 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1605 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N39852 |
| NTSB Number | SEA95LA026 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELLANCA |
| Aircraft Model | 17-30A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 17-30A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 73-30517 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3325 |
| 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 | Jul 7 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 15 |
| Airframe Hours | 1678 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | VINTON, WINFRED C. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 37002 204TH AVE SE |
| Aircraft Owner City | AUBURN |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98002 |
| 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 | WA21 |
| Departure City | ELECTRIC CITY |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1500 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | S36 |
| Destination City | KENT |
| Destination State | WA |
| 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 | -- |