Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Welke Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Saint James, Michigan 49782
Friday, September 1, 1995 11:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE LEFT FUEL GAGE WAS NOT WORKING AND BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE FULL PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. HE DID NOT LEAN THE ENGINE DURING THE 2.7 HOUR FLIGHT. THE PILOT INITIATED A GO-AROUND DURING AN ATTEMPTED LANDING. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 50 FEET, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND THE AIRPLANE ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AT THE DEPARTURE END AND 'SLID INTO THE TREES.' EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO USABLE FUEL REMAINED IN THE FUEL TANKS AND THE FUEL LINES WERE EMPTY. ABOUT 3/8 INCH OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL. A FUEL LINE FITTING WAS LEAKING NEAR THE FUEL PUMP.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's operation of the airplane with an inoperative fuel gage and the leaking fuel line fitting, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. The inoperative fuel gage was a related factor.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/1/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1115 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | SAINT JAMES |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49782 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WELKE |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 6Y8 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 664 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| 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 | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| 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) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| 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 | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1490 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 1 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1144 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9528L |
| NTSB Number | CHI95LA303 |
| 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 | GRUMMAN |
| Aircraft Model | AA-5 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AA-5 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | AA5-0528 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2200 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 18 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LADD J. REINHOLD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2112 OAKLAND DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | KALAMAZOO |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 49008 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JOHN CONRAD |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | THREE RIVERS MUNICIPAL DRIVE |
| Operator City | THREE RIVERS |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 49093 |
| 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 | HAI |
| Departure City | THREE RIVERS |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 830 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| 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 | 18 |
| Runway Length | 3500 |
| Runway Width | 140 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |