Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mcgrath, Alaska 99627
Thursday, July 22, 1999 16:00 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The commercial pilot was returning to his company base after dropping passengers and freight at two intermediate stops. The distance on the route from the company base airport to the accident site, was about 243 nautical miles. The pilot said he landed at his last intermediate stop with the fuel selector on the right main tank, and departed with the fuel selector on the left main fuel tank. Both the left and right wing tip fuel tanks were full of fuel. While descending toward the company base, the engine quit. The pilot selected the right wing tip tank, turned on the fuel boost pump, and attempted to restart the engine without success. He selected the left wing tip tank, but the engine did not start. The pilot made an emergency landing in a small opening in the trees about 15 miles south of the company base airport. During the landing, the airplane collided with several small trees, and then touched down in soft, boggy terrain. The director of operations for the company responded to the accident scene. He reported the left main fuel tank was empty. Fuel was present in the right main tank, and in each wing tip tank. For flight planning purposes, the director of operations said the company uses a fuel burn of 20 gallons per hour, and an airspeed of 125 knots. An FAA inspector inspected the airplane. The inspector reported the left main tank was empty. Fuel flowed from each fuel tank to the engine, except from the left main tank. After replacing the propeller, the engine was started, and it ran normally. The airplane owner's handbook notes that the fuel selector should be changed to another tank before fuel is exhausted from the tank in use. The handbook also notes that it may take up to ten seconds, after switching fuel tanks, to restore power if fuel exhaustion has occurred.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper management of the fuel supply, and subsequent fuel starvation. A factor in the accident was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/22/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1600 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | MCGRATH |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99627 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1553 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 337 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| 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) | 699 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 22 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1610 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 11:43AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4811T |
| NTSB Number | ANC99LA097 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32-300 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-7240086 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 12 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 28 |
| Airframe Hours | 9637 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BIDZY TA HOT AANA CORP. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 29 |
| Aircraft Owner City | RUBY |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99768 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 60713 |
| Operator City | FAIRBANKS |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 99706 |
| Operator Code | BTHA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PASV |
| Departure City | SPARREVOHN LRRS |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1508 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | PAMC |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| 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 | -- |