Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cottage Grove, Oregon 97424
Friday, June 20, 1997 18:05 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While on a flight from Chico, California, to Eugene, Oregon, the airplane crashed about 29 miles south of its destination. Witnesses stated they saw the aircraft turning toward a mown hay field, with its engine cutting out, when it abruptly dropped and impacted the ground from about 100 feet above ground level. Examination of the airplane at the accident site revealed that the aircraft's right wing fuel tank was empty and its left wing tank contained only a trace quantity of fuel. A total of approximately one to two teaspoons of fuel was extracted from the remainder of the aircraft's fuel system. Both wing tanks were breached; however, there was no fuel odor or discoloration of vegetation at the accident site. Examination of the aircraft did not reveal any evidence of mechanical malfunction. The pilot overflew at least five suitable airports with fuel facilities on his route of flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Fuel exhaustion resulting from the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a forced landing approach, resulting in a stall. A related factor was the pilot's failure to refuel.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/20/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1805 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | COTTAGE GROVE |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97424 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1756 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 328 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EUG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 365 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 29 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| 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 | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1638 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 20 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1851 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6630C |
| NTSB Number | SEA97FA148 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | 77 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 77 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | WA-24 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1675 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 8 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 48 |
| Airframe Hours | 1977 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TERRY M. WEATHERS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 128 |
| Aircraft Owner City | MONTAGUE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96064 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JAMES C. FARNSWORTH |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1620 MUIR AVE. |
| Operator City | CHICO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 95973 |
| 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 | CIC |
| Departure City | CHICO |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1508 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | EUG |
| Destination City | EUGENE |
| Destination State | OR |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Unknown |
| 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 | -- |