Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Redstone Aaf Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Huntsville, Alabama 35601
Monday, March 3, 1997 19:41 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight departed with full fuel tanks and about 30 minutes then 1 hour into the flight, the pilot repositioned the fuel selector. About 1 hour 50 minutes into the flight the engine sputtered. The pilot repositioned the fuel selector and engine power was restored then the pilot attempted to divert to a nearby airport. While descending the engine quit. After descending below the base of the clouds the pilot located a road and attempted a forced landing but the right wing collided with a fence. The airplane then impacted the road and came to rest upright. Post crash examination of the airplane revealed no fuel remaining in the fuel tanks with both fuel caps in place. Fuel leakage was not noted at the scene. Each fuel tank bladder was replaced within the preceding 6 years and the pilot replaced only the left fuel cap. Examination of the right fuel cap revealed that the seal was cracked. No abnormal wrinkles were noted in the fuel bladder cells and each bladder was secured by the top hangers.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/3/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1941 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | HUNTSVILLE |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35601 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | REDSTONE AAF |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HUA |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 80 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1956 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HSV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 630 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Bright |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1900 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| 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) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 404 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 13 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1024 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:10PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3392Y |
| NTSB Number | MIA97LA096 |
| 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 | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 182E |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 182E |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18254392 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2800 |
| 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 | May 20 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 54 |
| Airframe Hours | 2983 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RONALD A. MASON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 116 E. ST. CATHERINE |
| Aircraft Owner City | LOUISVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | KY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 40203 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | MALCOLM L.HIGGINBOTHAM |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 6510 WATCH HILL ROAD |
| Operator City | LOUISVILLE |
| Operator State | KY |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 40228 |
| 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 | EDN |
| Departure City | ENTERPRISE |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1739 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | LOU |
| Destination City | LOUISVILLE |
| Destination State | KY |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | 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 | -- |