Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Stamford, Connecticut 06901
Friday, December 20, 1996 20:15 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot departed at night on a cross-country flight. After the airplane had climbed to 3,500 feet and had leveled about 8 miles from the airport, the engine lost power. The pilot selected a lighted street for a forced landing. During the landing, the airplane collided with trees and was damaged. The pilot did not verify the airplane's fuel load before he departed on the cross-country flight. The airplane had been flown 5.3 hours since the last refueling. Examination of the airplane did not disclose evidence of a mechanical malfunction. No usable fuel was found in the airplane's fuel system, and there was no evidence of a fuel spill. According to the airplane's information manual, the maximum time endurance, at 75 percent power, was about 5.3 hours.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

inadequate preflight by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, due to an inadequate fuel supply of fuel. Darkness and trees in the emergency landing area were related factors.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/20/1996
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 2015
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City STAMFORD
Event State CONNECTICUT
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 06901
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 Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1945 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 270
Weather Observation Facility ID HPN
Elevation of weather observation facility 439
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
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) -14
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 290
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
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 Minor
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 --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1742
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 20 1996 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2100
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4829V
NTSB Number NYC97LA032
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 172RG
Aircraft Series Identifier 172RG
Aircraft Serial Number 172RG0394
Certified Max Gross Weight 2658
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 Oct 3 1996 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 40
Airframe Hours 4448
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FRED T PERRY
Aircraft Owner Street Address 27 FIFTEENTH AVE
Aircraft Owner City WARWICK
Aircraft Owner State RI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 02886
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name COPORATE AIR CHARTER
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address HANGAR 1, GREEN STATE ARPT
Operator City WARWICK
Operator State RI
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 02886
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 HPN
Departure City WHITE PLAINS
Departure State NY
Departure Country
Departure Time 2000
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PVD
Destination City PROVIDENCE
Destination State RI
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 --