Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Honolulu, Hawaii 96819
Thursday, March 16, 1995 3:15 HST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED OVERWEIGHT FOR A 17-HOUR FERRY FLIGHT. EARLY IN THE FLIGHT THE CREW EXPERIENCED SOME FUEL PROBLEMS AND DECIDED TO CONTINUE WHEN THEY RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. THE CREW INDICATED THE EN ROUTE WINDS WERE CLOSE TO FORECAST. THE FERRY FUEL SYSTEM IS A SIMPLE 5-TANK GRAVITY FUEL FEED INTO THE FORE AND AFT MAIN TANKS. ABOUT 6 HOURS FROM DESTINATION, THEY REALIZED THE FERRY TANKS WERE NOT FLOWING INTO THE MAIN TANKS AS PLANNED. THEY BEGAN MANUALLY TRANSFERRING FUEL FROM THE REAR FERRY TANK TO THE FORWARD FERRY TANK, AND SHUT DOWN THE RIGHT ENGINE TO REDUCE FUEL CONSUMPTION. THIS DID NOT STOP THE NEGATIVE FUEL FLOW FROM THE MAIN TANKS. AT THE TIME OF DITCHING, THE CREW ESTIMATED THE FUEL REMAINING IN THE FERRY TANKS WAS ABOUT 170 GALLONS, MOST OF WHICH WAS IN THE 3 AFT FERRY TANKS. AN AERO ENGINEER CALCULATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT LEAST 10 INCHES BEHIND THE MAXIMUM AFT CG AT THE TIME OF DITCHING, AND SUGGESTED THAT THE FERRY FUEL SYSTEM WAS NOT MANAGED TO MAINTAIN THE CG WITHIN THE ALLOWABLE LIMITS, A TASK MADE MORE DIFFICULT WITH THE REAR FUSELAGE CARGO.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Intentional ditching due to the flightcrew's failure to properly manage the fuel system, and operation of the airplane in an excessively overweight condition.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/16/1995
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 315
Event Time Zone Hawaii Standard Time
Event City HONOLULU
Event State HAWAII
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 96819
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 3
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 Pilot
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 Night/Bright
Lowest Ceiling Height 2000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Light and Variable
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 None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1060
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 16 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 540
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:09PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N37ST
NTSB Number LAX95LA137
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name de Havilland
Aircraft Model DHC-6-200
Aircraft Series Identifier DHC-6-200
Aircraft Serial Number 207
Certified Max Gross Weight 11579
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/Foreign Oper.
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 5
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GREAT BARRIER AIRLINES
Aircraft Owner Street Address BOX 28, PVC 14, ARDMORE FIELD,
Aircraft Owner City AUCKLAND
Aircraft Owner State NZ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
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) Ferry
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code OAK
Departure City OAKLAND
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1230
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code HON
Destination City
Destination State HI
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
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 --