Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Meacham Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fort Worth, Texas 76177
Friday, November 3, 1995 20:30 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF AT NIGHT, WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE ENGINE LOST POWER, AND THE PILOT WAS FORCED TO LAND IN A GRASSY AREA ON AIRPORT PROPERTY. THE LANDING WAS HARD, WHICH RESULTED IN A DAMAGED WING SPAR. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS SINCE IT WAS LAST REFUELED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD UTILIZED THE LEFT FUEL TANK FOR THE 2 HOURS OF FLIGHT, AND 'FORGOT TO CHANGE THE FUEL SELECTOR OVER TO THE RIGHT TANK.' ACCORDING TO THE OWNER, EACH FUEL TANK HAD A CAPACITY OF 18 GALLONS, AND FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS APPROXIMATELY 9 GALLONS PER HOUR. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED THAT THE LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS FULL. ADDITIONALLY, NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR OR GASCOLATOR. ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S RECORDS, THE HOBBS METER READING WAS 1345.2 HOURS PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. THE HOBBS METER READING WAS 1347.2 HOURS AT THE ACCIDENT SITE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT, AND IMPROPER POSITIONING OF THE FUEL SELECTOR, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING TAKEOFF. DARKNESS WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/3/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2030 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | FORT WORTH |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76177 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MEACHAM FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FTW |
| 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 | 710 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2055 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FTW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 710 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| 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) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| 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 | 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) | 1056 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 3 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2353 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:42PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9504J |
| NTSB Number | FTW96LA040 |
| 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 | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-3625 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2395 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 2 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5049 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CHARLEY WILKERSON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4444 RYAN AVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | FORT WORTH |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76110 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | FTW |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2025 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | FTW |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | TX |
| 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 | 34R |
| Runway Length | 7501 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |