Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Las Vegas, New Mexico 87701
Saturday, June 20, 1998 12:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot received his pilot's license on May 11, 1996 and had accumulated 78 hours of flight experience. He recently purchased this complex airplane and had 7.3 hours of experience in it before the accident flight. He was conducting a cross-country flight and diverted south through New Mexico due to turbulence. The pilot stated that his initial time en route was 1.5 hours, however, investigation revealed that he had airborne for 2.5 hours and that the aircraft normally burns 10-14 gallons per hour. He said he lost engine power near Las Vegas, New Mexico, due to 'fuel exhaustion' and landed in soft vegetated terrain. The pilot reported that 'his fuel gauges indicated that he had fuel, so he continued to fly.' He latter reported that he had put 25 gallons of fuel on the airplane before the flight in which the accident occurred.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper preflight planning/preparation for a cross country flight resulting in fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. Factors were, unsuitable terrain, lack of total aviation experience, and lack of total experience in make/model of aircraft.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/20/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1230 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | LAS VEGAS |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 87701 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| 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 | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1250 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 320 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LVS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6874 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| 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) | 35 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 18 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 26 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 9994 |
| 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) | 752 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 24 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 254 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 16 2001 11:56AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1188J |
| NTSB Number | FTW98LA281 |
| 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 | Rockwell |
| Aircraft Model | COMMANDER 112 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | COMMANDER |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 187 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| 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 | Apr 4 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 138 |
| Airframe Hours | 2387 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TODD L. FLANNERY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1670 CALAIS DR. |
| Aircraft Owner City | SPRINGFIELD |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 45503 |
| 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 | CEZ |
| Departure City | CORTEZ |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FTG |
| Destination City | DENVER |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 20 2001 6:29PM |
| 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 | -- |