Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Albany, Georgia 31701
Friday, June 30, 2000 15:20 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While climbing after takeoff the dual student who was flying the airplane switched fuel tanks. The engine quit. No fuel pressure or fuel flow was showing on the gauges. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful and when the field that was chosen for a forced landing could not be reached, the airplane crashed into trees. Postcrash of the aircraft by an FAA inspector showed the engine fuel system did not contain any fuel. The electric fuel boost pump switch had a wire loose which prevented the pump from operating in the on position. A fuel tank had been run dry on the previous flight. The flight manual states that in the event a fuel tank has been run dry and is refueled with the selector off or on another tank position it is possible to have air in the lines. This should be eliminated by running up the engine on the noted tank before takeoff.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The dual student's failure to purge the fuel lines of air after a fuel tank was run dry on the previous flight and the failure of the electric fuel boost pump on or low position due to a loose wire which resulted in failure of the engine due to air in the lines and collision with trees during a forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/30/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1520 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | ALBANY |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 31701 |
| 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 | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1550 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ABY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 197 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| 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) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2200 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 179 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ATL. Comm. Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 30 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1650 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 10:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8787V |
| NTSB Number | MIA00LA199 |
| 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 | Bellanca |
| Aircraft Model | 17-30A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 17-30A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 30319 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3325 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 6 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 121 |
| Airframe Hours | 3225 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SOUTHWEST GEORGIA AVIATION |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1214 RIVERPOINT DR. |
| Aircraft Owner City | ALBANY |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 31701 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | WARREN B. WILLIS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2513 PHEASANT DR. |
| Operator City | ALBANY |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 31707 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | ABY |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1510 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |