Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ortonville, Michigan 48462
Saturday, July 11, 1992 16:26 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE HAD JUST CANCELED AN IFR CLEARANCE AND WAS DESCENDING IN VFR CONDITIONS WHEN HE LOST ENGINE POWER AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 FEET AGL. HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY TO ATC AND UNSUCCESSFULLY TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE. HE GAVE UP THE RESTART ATTEMPTS AND REMEMBERS THINKING; 'I'VE GOT TO STOP PLAYING WITH IT AND LAND THIS THING.' HE REMEMBERS TURNING THE MAIN FUEL SWITCH OFF JUST BEFORE THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE TREETOPS. AN AFTER ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DISCLOSED NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS IN THE AIRFRAME. NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS WERE NOTED IN THE ENGINE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN INFLIGHT STOPPAGE. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM SHOWED THE MAIN FUEL SWITCH OFF AND THE SECONDARY AUXILIARY FUEL TANK SELECTOR SWITCH SELECTED TO AN EMPTY AUXILIARY TANK. FUEL WAS PRESENT IN ALL OF THE MAIN FUEL TANKS AND THE OTHER AUXILIARY TANK.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
IMPROPER USE OF THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR SWITCH AND INADEQUATE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/11/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1626 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | ORTONVILLE |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 48462 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1550 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 290 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FNT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 782 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 17 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4200 |
| 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) | 14 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 230 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2690 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 11 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2110 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 47490 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:04PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6617V |
| NTSB Number | CHI92LA204 |
| 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 | BELLANCA |
| Aircraft Model | 17-30A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 17-30A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 30271 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3000 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 28 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 123 |
| Airframe Hours | 1159 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LOFT AIR INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1523 BIGGERS |
| Aircraft Owner City | ROCHESTER HILLS |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 48039 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | LOFT AIR INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1523 BIGGERS |
| Operator City | ROCHESTER HILLS |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 48039 |
| 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 | HTL |
| Departure City | HOUGHTON LAKE |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1510 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PTK |
| Destination City | PONTIAC |
| Destination State | MI |
| 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 | -- |