Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Kalkaska, Michigan 49646
Friday, May 19, 1995 8:10 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HIS FUEL SUPPLY WAS EXHAUSTED DUE TO A STRONGER THAN ANTICIPATED HEADWIND, AND HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON A ROAD. HE CONFIGURED THE AIRPLANE FOR LANDING AND ESTABLISHED A GLIDEPATH. HE DISCOVERED POWERLINES ACROSS HIS PLANNED GLIDEPATH AND THE AIRPLANE STALLED WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO OVER FLY THE POWERLINES.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's poor preflight and inflight planning and decisions. Factors were the powerlines and the inadvertent stall.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/19/1995
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 810
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City KALKASKA
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 49646
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 5
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 838 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 15
Weather Observation Facility ID TVC
Elevation of weather observation facility 624
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 270
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 20000
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) 17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 1200
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 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 362
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 19 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1300
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:15PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N56523
NTSB Number CHI95LA154
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-140
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-140
Aircraft Serial Number 28-7325649
Certified Max Gross Weight 2050
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 Mar 28 1995 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 17
Airframe Hours 4400
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name BEL AERO, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 22 MICHIGAN TRAIL, PO BOX 33
Aircraft Owner City EAST PORT
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 49627
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 ARB
Departure City ANN ARBOR
Departure State MI
Departure Country
Departure Time 600
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code Y94
Destination City EAST PORT
Destination State MI
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 --