Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Breckenridge, Texas 76424
Sunday, June 4, 2000 22:15 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, the flight departed with the fuel quantity gauges indicating 350-360 pounds of fuel in each fuel tank. Approximately 15 minutes from the destination, the fuel low light illuminated with an indication of approximately 100 pounds of fuel in each fuel tank. According to the aircraft manufacturer, the fuel low light should illuminate when there are 63 pounds of fuel remaining. When the flight was 5-10 miles from the airport, the fuel low light went out and the left engine lost power. The pilot turned the fuel boost pumps to high and noted that the fuel quantity gauges were indicating 50 pounds of fuel in each fuel tank. The pilot then opened the crossfeed valve and the left engine regained power. Shortly thereafter, both engines started to lose power. The pilot landed the airplane in a field; however, he could not stop the airplane before it impacted a barbed wire fence and mesquite trees. The pilot stated that the flight lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes. At a best power (76% BHP) fuel flow rate of 130 pounds/hour, each engine would have used approximately 292.5 pounds of fuel. Assuming each fuel tank contained 350 pounds of fuel at the start of the flight, this would leave approximately 57.5 pounds of fuel in each fuel tank, allowing for 26 minutes of flight time.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Fuel exhaustion as a result of an inaccurate fuel quantity indicating system. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/4/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2215 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | BRECKENRIDGE |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76424 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| 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 | 2200 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 267 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ABI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1790 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 51 |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 20 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| 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 | 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 536 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 5 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 27 2001 4:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N700AF |
| NTSB Number | FTW00LA170 |
| 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 | Aero Commander |
| Aircraft Model | 700 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 700 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 6987 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6987 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 9 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 17 |
| Airframe Hours | 2334 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | OWEN D. WOODWARD, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 232 |
| Aircraft Owner City | BRECKENRIDGE |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76424 |
| 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 | SRR |
| Departure City | RUIDOSO |
| Departure State | NM |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1900 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BKD |
| Destination City | BRECKENRIDGE |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 27 2001 4:05AM |
| 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 | -- |