Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Hunter Army Air Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Savannah, Georgia 31409
Sunday, October 1, 1995 14:26 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After requesting fuel availability for various airport's from Savannah Approach Control, the pilot declared an emergency and landed at the Hunter Army Air Field. After landing, he taxied to a remote part of the airport and removed hand made fuel lines connecting three six gallon tanks to the left wing tank. These additional tanks were stored where the rear seat had been installed. The pilot did not refuel the aircraft prior to takeoff, and after departure, the engine began to run rough. He elected to execute a precautionary landing along Savannah's Highway 516, where the aircraft collided with a road sign. The pilot then lost control, and the aircraft skidded into a guard rail and flipped over. Two pilots were aboard the aircraft. Both repeatedly changed their stories concerning who they were, and what transpired prior to the accident. An FAA examiner stated that there was approximately fifteen gallons of automotive fuel in the aircraft's right wing, and no fuel in the left wing. He also stated that the aircraft appeared to have been configured for transportation of unauthorized material.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for a precautionary landing, and his failure to maintain clearance from an obstacle (road sign) during the landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/1/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1426 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | SAVANNAH |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 31409 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | HUNTER ARMY AIR FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SVN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 3 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 300 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1444 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 300 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SVN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 42 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| 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) | 2085 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 1 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1530 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:38PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9553H |
| NTSB Number | ATL96LA001 |
| 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 | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172M |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172M |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17266224 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | May 1 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | THE MORGEIST GROUP |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 26 KESSLER FARM DRIVE 450 |
| Aircraft Owner City | NASHUA |
| Aircraft Owner State | NH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 03063 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JOHN W. WANG |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1 EASTBROOK DRIVE |
| Operator City | NASHUA |
| Operator State | NH |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 03060 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | UNK |
| Departure City | HUNTER ARMY A/F |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| 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 10:30AM |
| 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 | -- |