Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Baltimore-Washington Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pasadena, Maryland 21060
Friday, October 18, 1996 23:01 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot departed on the first of three legs with an undetermined amount of fuel. He reported to the passenger that the fuel quantity indicating system was inaccurate, but that he knew how much fuel was on board. After flying two legs and purchasing a total of 50 gallons enroute, the airplane departed with what the pilot estimated was a two-hour fuel load for an anticipated one hour final leg to BWI. The passenger reported that the airplane had intercepted the localizer course for the ILS Runway 28 Approach at BWI at 3000 feet. He said, 'All of a sudden the aircraft started yawing violently left to right, because both engines were alternating power, then no power. [The pilot] asked, 'Which engine is failing?' and I said 'they're both failing, you're out of fuel.' He tried to access fuel in the [auxiliary] tanks but there was no fuel anywhere in the aircraft.' Both engines subsequently stopped producing power, and the aircraft descended into wooded terrain. The airplane had been aloft for about 1 hour and 40 minutes when the engines stopped producing power. There was no fuel nor evidence of fuel found at the accident site.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and inadequate management of the airplane's fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a forced landing at night. Factors related to the accident were: an inaccurate fuel quantity indicating system, darkness, and trees in the emergency landing area.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/18/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2301 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | PASADENA |
| Event State | MARYLAND |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 21060 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BWI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 4 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 100 |
| Airport Elevation | 146 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2300 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 280 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BWI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 146 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4500 |
| 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) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 32 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1181 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 19 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:25AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8226 |
| NTSB Number | NYC97LA007 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 310Q |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 310Q |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 310Q0706 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5300 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 99 |
| Airframe Hours | 4655 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SOUTHERN VIRGINIA AVIATION |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 604 AIRPARK ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | ASHLAND |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 23005 |
| 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 | S2VA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FCI |
| Departure City | CHESTERFIELD |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2130 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BWI |
| Destination City | BALTIMORE |
| Destination State | MD |
| 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 | 28 |
| Runway Length | 9452 |
| Runway Width | 200 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |