Essex County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Caldwell, New Jersey 07006
Thursday, August 6, 1992 12:09 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT FAILED TO ACTIVATE THE FUEL TRANSFER PUMP AFTER TAKEOFF AND UPON ARRIVAL AT HIS DESTINATION, HE EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION DURING A GO-AROUND. THE AIRPLANE USES A 5 GALLON HEADER TANK TO GRAVITY FEED THE ENGINE. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE AIRPLANE USES 5 GALLONS OF FUEL BETWEEN MT. HOLLY, NEW JERSEY, AND CALDWELL, NEW JERSEY. ON SCENE EXAMINATION BY THE FAA FOUND THE MAIN AND AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS RUPTURED, AND THE HEADER FUEL TANK EMPTY AND NOT RUPTURED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MONITOR HIS FUEL SUPPLY WHICH RESULTED IN THE POWER LOSS. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/6/1992
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1209
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City CALDWELL
Event State NEW JERSEY
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 07006
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport ESSEX COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CDW
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 173
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1145 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 1
Weather Observation Facility ID CDW
Elevation of weather observation facility 173
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 20000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 5000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
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 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) 1923
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 6 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1255
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 46764
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:13PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N87JG
NTSB Number NYC92LA145
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 JOHN K. GROFF JR.
Aircraft Model Q-2
Aircraft Series Identifier Q-2
Aircraft Serial Number 2627
Certified Max Gross Weight 1100
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 21 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 1
Airframe Hours 294
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JOHN K. GROFF JR
Aircraft Owner Street Address 8 THRUSH WAY
Aircraft Owner City MEDFORD
Aircraft Owner State NJ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 08055
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JOHN K. GROFF JR
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 8 THRUSH WAY
Operator City MEDFORD
Operator State NJ
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 08055
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 7MY
Departure City MOUNT HOLLY
Departure State NJ
Departure Country
Departure Time 1130
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
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 22
Runway Length 4553
Runway Width 80
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --