Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Robert S. Kerr Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Poteau, Oklahoma 74953
Thursday, September 30, 1999 22:40 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The student pilot planned the night cross-country flight; however, the flight instructor performed the fuel calculations by using a 4-hour fuel endurance minus the student's flight time to the origination airport. The instructor determined that there was enough fuel for the flight and elected not to have the fuel tanks filled prior to the flight. During the first leg of the flight, the generator warning light illuminated. The student indicated to the instructor that he thought it was an indication problem and not a generator problem. The instructor and student elected to continue the flight, performing touch-and-go landings at two separate airports. On the third/last leg of the flight, after the instructor noticed the fuel gauges reading empty in one fuel tank and 1/4 full in the other, the student informed the instructor that his airplane only had a 3.5-hour fuel endurance. During the last leg of the flight, the electrical system failed. Due to the low fuel status, the instructor did not divert to an airport with automatic runway lighting, but continued to the original destination airport, which had a pilot controlled runway light system. The instructor attempted two approaches with no runway or aircraft lighting. On the second approach, the airplane impacted the ground and a ditch. A work order included in the maintenance records indicated that the generator 'fuses' were 'replaced' 2.5 months prior to the accident. Examination of the electrical system revealed that a 30-amp fuse was installed in the generator fuse holder, and the fuse had 'blown.' The aircraft's electrical system required a 35-amp generator fuse.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The instructor pilot's inadequate in-flight decision making, which resulted in the continued flight with a disabled generator and subsequent total failure of the electrical system. Factors were the installation of the inadequate generator fuse by unknown person(s), the instructor's failure to refuel the airplane prior to the flight, and the dark night conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/30/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 2240 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | POTEAU |
| Event State | OKLAHOMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 74953 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | ROBERT S. KERR |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RKR |
| 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 | 451 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2300 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FSM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 469 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 22 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1536 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 30 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2310 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 10:01AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8092S |
| NTSB Number | FTW99LA272 |
| 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 | 150F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 150F |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15061692 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1600 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 17 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 138 |
| Airframe Hours | 3512 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ROBERT J. HAGGERTY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 563 |
| Aircraft Owner City | ALTUS |
| Aircraft Owner State | AR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 72821 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | F10 |
| Departure City | HENRYETTA |
| Departure State | OK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2200 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | RKR |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 12:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 36 |
| Runway Length | 4006 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |