Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Daytona Beach, Florida 32114
Thursday, December 26, 1996 12:49 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

Because the flight was taking longer than expected, the pilot elected to divert for fuel. While being vectored for an approach, the engine quit. During the ensuing forced landing, the airplane collided with trees and the ground. There was no evidence of a loss of fuel during the flight nor at the accident site, and the engine was operated following the accident. However, testing of the fuel injector servo revealed that its flow exceeded the maximum limit. The pilot stated he was using 11 gallons per hour for fuel usage planning. Using the power setting and altitude the pilot reported he used during the flight, the engine manufacturers operating manual indicated that the fuel usage would be between 11.3 and 13 gallons per hour (gph), depending on the mixture setting. Based on the elapsed time of the flight, the usable fuel supply in the airplane, and the excessive fuel servo flow, at 11.3 gph, about six gallons of fuel would have remained in the airplane. At 13 gph, more fuel than the usable capacity would have been needed. The fuel usage, therefore, exceeded the pilot's planned usage, discounting the servo's excessive flow rate.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inadequate in-flight fuel consumption calculations, and the excessive flow of the fuel injector servo, that combined to result in fuel exhaustion.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/26/1996
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1249
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City DAYTONA BEACH
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 32114
Event Date Year 1996
Event Date Month 12
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 Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1253 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 70
Weather Observation Facility ID DAB
Elevation of weather observation facility 35
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 3
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2300
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) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 19
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 5
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 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1750
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 26 1996 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1410
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 10:29AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N737JC
NTSB Number ATL97LA028
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Mooney
Aircraft Model M20F
Aircraft Series Identifier M20F
Aircraft Serial Number 670376
Certified Max Gross Weight 2740
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 Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Sep 12 1996 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 24
Airframe Hours 6552
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name TWIN AIR TRANSPORT CORPORATION
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3511 SILVERSIDE RD SUITE 105
Aircraft Owner City WILMINGTON
Aircraft Owner State DE
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19810
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name THEODORE R. COLEMAN
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 1741 ELKRIDGE DR
Operator City EDGEWATER
Operator State MD
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 21037
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 ECG
Departure City ELIZABETH CITY
Departure State NC
Departure Country
Departure Time 822
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code DAB
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 --