Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Marshall County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mcmechen, West Virginia 26040
Sunday, April 5, 1998 16:38 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Three days prior to the accident flight, the pilot/owner landed at his home airport where no fuel was available. The pilot reported to witnesses that during the flight home he had run the auxiliary tanks empty and had nearly exhausted his fuel supply. On the day of the accident, the pilot researched area airports for fuel prices 'cheaper' than the nearest fuel stop, and stated he had '...an hour's worth of fuel on board.' Immediately after takeoff, witnesses described a loss of engine power on one and then both engines. The airplane collided with terrain 3 miles from the departure airport. Examination of the wreckage revealed approximately one gallon of fuel on board with no evidence of spillage at the scene. Both fuel selectors were in the 'crossfeed' position. The fuel system was recently overhauled and all fuel pumps were operational. Examination of the airframe and engines revealed no pre-impact anomalies. Examination of fuel records and aircraft flight times revealed the airplane had flown approximately 5 hours after its last fuel service.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate pre-flight planning and preparation which resulted in fuel exhaustion during takeoff.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/5/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1638 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | MCMECHEN |
| Event State | WEST VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 26040 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MARSHALL COUNTY AIRPORT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 74D |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 3 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 360 |
| Airport Elevation | 1215 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1653 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 25 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HLG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1195 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 18 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| 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) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1331 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 5 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1831 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 11:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7845Y |
| NTSB Number | IAD98FA042 |
| 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 | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-30 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-30 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 30-925 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 5 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 17 |
| Airframe Hours | 6604 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CLIFFORD MARK WILSON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 414 WHEELING AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | GLEN DALE |
| Aircraft Owner State | WV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 26038 |
| 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 | |
| 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 | 74D |
| Departure City | MOUNDSVILLE |
| Departure State | WV |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1630 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | HLG |
| Destination City | WHEELING |
| Destination State | WV |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| 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 | 24 |
| Runway Length | 3300 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |