Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

West Mifflin, Pennsylvania 15122
Sunday, May 10, 1992 20:35 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE ON AN EXTENDED BASE LEG THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED JUST SHORT OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 31. THE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY. THE 2 DAY CROSS COUNTRY WAS PLANNED FROM WEST MIFFLIN, PA, TO HATTERAS, NC, RETURNING TO WEST MIFFLIN ON THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE PILOT STATED THE TOTAL FLYING TIME FOR THIS CROSS COUNTRY JUST PRIOR TO THE ENGINE QUITTING, WAS 6.25 HOURS. THE PILOT STATED HE THOUGHT HE HAD 90 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD BEFORE HE STARTED THE CROSS COUNTRY. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRPLANE'S GAUGES ALSO SHOWED THE AIRPLANE'S TANKS WERE FULL PRIOR TO THE DEPARTURE FROM WEST MIFFLIN. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ANALOG FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATED, JUST PRIOR TO THE ENGINE QUITTING, THE LEFT FUEL TANK HAD A FEW GALLONS LEFT IN IT AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY 10-12 GALLONS. CESSNA PERFORMANCE CHARTS SHOW THAT FUEL CONSUMPTION COULD HAVE RANGED FROM 12.5 TO 16.1 GALLONS OF FUEL PER HOUR.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PREPARATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE UNRELIABLE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/10/1992
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 2035
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City WEST MIFFLIN
Event State PENNSYLVANIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 15122
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 5
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2030 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 1
Weather Observation Facility ID AGC
Elevation of weather observation facility 1
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Dusk
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4000
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) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 70
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
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 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 186
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 10 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2100
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 46204
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 2:54PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1411P
NTSB Number BFO92LA057
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 CESSNA
Aircraft Model 210M
Aircraft Series Identifier 210M
Aircraft Serial Number 21062080
Certified Max Gross Weight 3800
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 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jan 2 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 22
Airframe Hours 4200
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name STARSHIP AVIATION
Aircraft Owner Street Address ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner City WEST MIFFLIN
Aircraft Owner State PA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 15122
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name PHOENIX AVIATION
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 10 ALLEGHENY AIRPORT
Operator City WEST MIFFLIN
Operator State PA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 15122
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 8W5
Departure City HATTERAS
Departure State NC
Departure Country
Departure Time 1730
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code AGC
Destination City WEST MIFFLIN
Destination State PA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
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 --