Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
St Lucie County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fort Pierce, Florida 24982
Wednesday, January 24, 1996 11:19 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight was on left base for landing when the left engine lost power. The pilot believed that the right engine would not produce full power. He attempted to land on a road, but the airplane struck a tree and subsequently burned. According to the pilot, when he departed the Bahamas, there was '20 gallons in each main [tank], 30 [gallons] in each auxiliary tank, 20 [gallons] in left wing locker...[the] duration of the flight 1+40, fuel consumption 31 gallons per hour,' or an approximate burn of 52 gallons of fuel. While cruising at 6500 feet, he 'switched' to the auxiliary tanks, 'drained the left wing locker tank' and switched back to the main tanks. Examination of the wreckage revealed the left engine propeller had not been feathered. Also, the landing gear was found extended, and the left engine cowling was intact. The right engine and the right side of the airplane had been consumed by fire damage, but the left engine did not display any fire damage. Both fuel selectors were found positioned to the main fuel tanks. The left engine was placed on a test stand, and a test run was conducted, but no discrepancies were found.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
failure of the pilot to follow emergency procedure(s) and/or feather the respective propeller after loss of power in the left engine for an undetermined reason. The undetermined loss of power (left engine) was a related factor.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/24/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1119 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | FORT PIERCE |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 24982 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | ST LUCIE COUNTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FPR |
| 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 | 24 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1122 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FPR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 24 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| 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 | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 3 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 369 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 24 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1320 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 9:47AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5079J |
| NTSB Number | MIA96LA071 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 310R |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 310R |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 310R0199 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5500 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 4 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1446 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CORDAIR INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 68 STACEY HAINES RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | MEDFORD |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 08055 |
| 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 | MMEH |
| Departure City | NORTH ELEUTRIA |
| Departure State | OF |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 930 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | FPR |
| 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 | 14 |
| Runway Length | 4756 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |