Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Essex, Maryland 21221
Sunday, November 15, 1998 23:30 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot-in-command departed Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, approximately 2145 in the Cessna 172 destined for Essex, Maryland, 125 nautical miles (straight line) distant. He reported a total of 30 gallons of fuel aboard at departure (20 gallons having been purchased at Wilkes-Barre), and estimated a flight duration of 1.75 hours. According to the aircraft owner's manual, unusable fuel was 2.5 gallons per tank, and the maximum fuel consumption for the O-300-A engine at 2,500 feet above sea level is 12.6 gallons/hour (worst case scenario). Fuel consumption decreases as altitude is increased and/or RPM is decreased. Approaching his destination, the pilot descended from 3,500 feet 1,000 feet, entered the downwind, applied carburetor heat and initiated a left base turn at 700 feet. He reported that RPM dropped off, and unable to reach the airport, he ditched the aircraft in a river under dark night conditions approximately 2330 local. A post crash test run of the engine was inconclusive and approximately 6 gallons of fuel was recovered from within the right wing fuel tank with the remaining fluid from both tanks being water. Temperature/dew point near the time of the accident was 43/30 degrees F. and serious carburetor icing conditions may have existed.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Factors were the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing and dark night conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/15/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2330 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | ESSEX |
| Event State | MARYLAND |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 21221 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| 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 | 2354 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 257 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BWI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 146 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| 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) | 29 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1801 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 16 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 800 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 11:53AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5806A |
| NTSB Number | IAD99LA018 |
| 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 | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28406 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2200 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 18 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 3000 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ELLIS, CLIFFORD, E. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 8501 RAMORT DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | BALTIMORE |
| Aircraft Owner State | MD |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 21236 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | YOUNG, SCOT, M. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 729 SOUTH ANN STREET |
| Operator City | BALTIMORE |
| Operator State | MD |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 21231 |
| 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 | AVP |
| Departure City | WILKES-BARRE |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2145 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | W48 |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | MD |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| 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 | -- |