Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sedona Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sedona, Arizona 86336
Friday, May 28, 1999 13:40 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot and two passengers departed Wichita, Kansas, for a planned nonstop flight to Sedona, Arizona. The pilot was familiar with the route and had about 1,800 hours flying experience in the airplane, which had been modified to hold 73 gallons of fuel. While en route, all airplane systems functioned normally, and no adverse weather was encountered. Fuel exhaustion occurred upon arrival over the destination airport at 8,500 feet msl. The pilot repositioned the fuel selector to the left fuel tank, but engine power was not restored. The airport's elevation is 4,827 feet msl, and the runway is 5,132 feet long. The pilot descended into the airport's downwind leg, and then turned onto the base leg and final approach leg for runway 21. He reported experiencing a 15- to 20-knot wind from 270 degrees. Unable to glide to the runway, the pilot touched down hard in the dirt between 10 and 15 feet short of the runway, in a stalled attitude. The left main wheel contacted an 8- to 10-inch asphalt berm at the approach end of the runway. After the accident the pilot attempted to start the engine. He stated that the left fuel tank contained several gallons of fuel, and after several seconds of cranking the engine started and operated normally. He also reported that during the flight all of the airplane's systems had functioned normally. Under the direction of the Safety Board, an airframe and powerplant mechanic examined the airplane. The mechanic reported that both of the airplane's wing fuel tank gauges and the auxiliary tank gauge registered empty.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Fuel exhaustion due to an inadequate fuel supply, and the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning fuel consumption calculations.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/28/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1340 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | SEDONA |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86336 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | SEDONA |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SEZ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 4827 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| 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) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 20 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1438 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 2 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1015 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 11:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9270C |
| NTSB Number | LAX99LA205 |
| 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 | 180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 180 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 31369 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 21 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 20 |
| Airframe Hours | 2700 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DANNY M. RAMSAY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 577 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN MARCOS |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92079 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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 | ICT |
| Departure City | WICHITA |
| Departure State | KS |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | SEZ |
| 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 | 21 |
| Runway Length | 5132 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |