Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Arlington, Texas 76018
Saturday, March 10, 1990 17:15 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE INSTRUCTOR AND RATED PRIVATE PILOT WERE CONDUCTING PRACTICE LANDINGS WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION IN THE TURN TO LEFT DOWNWIND. AN OFF AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING WAS EXECUTED ONTO SOFT TERRAIN AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. NO FUEL WAS FOUND ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE HOWEVER THE LEFT FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATED ONE QUARTER TANK REMAINING AND THIS DISCREPANCY REMAINED CONSTANT THROUGHOUT THE POST-ACCIDENT TESTING. THE PRIVATE PILOT HAD BRIEFED THE INSTRUCTOR THAT HE COULD NOT CONFIRM VISUALLY THE 1/2 TANK INDICATIONS ON THE FUEL GAUGES DURING PREFLIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR TOLD THE PILOT THAT THEY WOULD BE AIRBORNE FOR AN HOUR TO AN HOUR AND A HALF AND THAT HE WAS CONFIDENT THE FUEL SUPPLY WAS ADEQUATE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PROCEDURES AND FAILURE TO ASSURE AN ADEQUATE FUEL SUPPLY FOR THE PROPOSED FLIGHT WHICH LED TO THE ENSUING ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LEFT FUEL GAUGE'S ERRONEOUS QUANTITY READINGS AND THE SOFT/UNSUITABLE TERRAIN THAT LED TO A NOSE OVER DURING THE SUBSEQUENT EMERGENCY LANDING.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/10/1990
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1715
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City ARLINGTON
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 76018
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 3
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1655 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 115
Weather Observation Facility ID FTW
Elevation of weather observation facility 710
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 17
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 4600
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) 12
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 17
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 183
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 13
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 18
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
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 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1278
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 10 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1745
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42457
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:50PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5193F
NTSB Number FTW90LA080
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 172N
Aircraft Series Identifier 172N
Aircraft Serial Number 17273124
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 0
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AEROCADE AVIATION
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 5000 S. COLLINS SUITE 111
Operator City ARLINGTON
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 76018
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
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1625
Departure Time Zone CST
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 Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --