Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sparta/Fort Mccoy Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sparta, Wisconsin 54656
Friday, October 6, 2000 19:20 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane impacted a tree and terrain following a total nonmechanical loss of engine power. The pilot reported that with the fuel tanks half full there would be 20 gallons of fuel. The pilot calculated that there would be 4 gallons of reserve fuel remaining following a 2-hour flight at a fuel burn of 8 gallons per hour. The airplane was equipped with two main fuel tanks which had a total fuel capacity of 42 gallons, of which 38 gallons were unusable. Federal Aviation Administration publication, FAA-P-8740-03 states that a "safe flight time" is based upon multiplying the usable fuel on board by 75% and dividing that result by the previously confirmed consumption rate. Also, fuel gauges must be calibrated to accurately indicate an empty tank and do not have to be accurate at any other fuel level. The publication also states that the performance and fuel information in the pilot operating handbook is based upon the testing of new aircraft with experienced test pilots. During approach to the airport, the pilot changed his planned landing runway so as to land with a more favorable wind; the engine quit on the base leg of the newly selected runway. The wind at the time of the accident was 360 degrees at 7 knots. Advisory Circular 61-21A, states, "When a forced landing is imminent, wind direction and speed should always be considered, but the main object is to complete a safe landing in the largest and best field available. No evidence of fuel was found aboard the airplane.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inaccurate fuel consumption calculations, improper fuel management, inadequate in-flight planning/decision, flight to destination alternate not performed, and the discontinued planned approach to the initially selected runway. Contributing factors were the fuel system not understood by the pilot. The tree was additional factor.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/6/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1920 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | SPARTA |
| Event State | WISCONSIN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 54656 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | SPARTA/FORT MCCOY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CMY |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 180 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1853 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 250 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LSE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 654 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 23 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 8500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| 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) | 39 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| 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) | 10787 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 6 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2118 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 23 2001 10:32AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N13214 |
| NTSB Number | CHI01LA004 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172M |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172M |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17262579 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | B D MYHRE INCORPORATED |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RR 2 BOX 10 |
| Aircraft Owner City | HIXTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | WI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 54635 |
| 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 | 06C |
| Departure City | SCHAUMBURG |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1725 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BCK |
| Destination City | BLACK RIVER FAL |
| Destination State | WI |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 4 2001 4:45AM |
| 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 | -- |