Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Groves, Texas 77619
Sunday, December 1, 1991 15:56 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE ENCOUNTERED THE FORECAST HEAD WINDS EN ROUTE AND HE INTENTIONALLY RAN THE LEFT TANK DRY AND WAS FLYING ON THE RIGHT TANK DURING THE DESCENT WHEN IT ALSO RAN DRY. HE STATED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE TANK CHANGE HE THOUGHT ABOUT REQUESTING AN ALTERNATE, BUT DID NOT. AFTER THE ENGINE FAILURE THE PILOT WAS GIVEN RADAR VECTORS TO THE FINAL LOCALIZER APPROACH COURSE OF A NEARBY AIRPORT; HOWEVER, HE HAD INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO REACH THE RUNWAY. HE BROKE OUT AT 700 FEET AND WAS ABLE TO LAND ON A PLAYING FIELD ADJACENT TO A CHURCH IN AN URBAN AREA. AFTER ROLLING ABOUT 234 FEET, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A BASEBALL BACK STOP AND CAME TO REST IN THE CHURCH PARKING LOT. THE PILOT'S FUEL CALCULATIONS INDICATED THAT HE HAD 6.5 HOURS TO FUEL EXHAUSTION, WHILE ACTUAL FUEL EXHAUSTION OCCURRED AFTER 5.5 HOURS. THE LEFT TANK RAN DRY AT 2.6 HOURS AND THE RIGHT RAN DRY AT 2.9 HOURS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FUEL EXHAUSTION WHICH PRECIPITATED THE FORCED LANDING DUE TO THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO DIVERT TO AN ALTERNATE DESTINATION WHEN HE RECOGNIZED THAT FUEL EXHAUSTION WAS A POSSIBILITY.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/1/1991
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1556
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City GROVES
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 77619
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 12
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 1559 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 300
Weather Observation Facility ID BPT
Elevation of weather observation facility 16
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 3
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 700
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 2
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 20
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 260
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2043
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 46291
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 10:53AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9503T
NTSB Number FTW92LA031
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 210
Aircraft Series Identifier 210
Aircraft Serial Number 210-57303
Certified Max Gross Weight 2900
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 Jun 28 1991 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 19
Airframe Hours 2810
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name HAWKINS, THOMAS R.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 122 BLUE HERON
Aircraft Owner City FRIENDSWOOD
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 77546
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name HAWKINS, THOMAS R.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 122 BLUE HERON
Operator City FRIENDSWOOD
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 77546
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 6A0
Departure City CARTERSVILLE
Departure State GA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1123
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code AXH
Destination City HOUSTON
Destination State TX
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 --