Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Beckley Mun. Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Springfield, Ohio 45501
Tuesady, January 3, 1989 8:12 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT WAS MAKING A CONTRACT CARGO FLT UNDER FAR 91 RULES AND HAD EXPERIENCED ICG ENROUTE. WHEN JUST PAST DAYTON, HE INDICATED THAT HE 'HAD A LITTLE FUEL PROBLEM' AND NEEDED TO GET INTO OSU WITHOUT DELAYS. A SHORT TIME LATER HE INDICATED THAT HE NEEDED TO GO TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT. HE WAS VECTORED TOWARD SGH FOR LDG. HE THEN INDICATED THAT HE HAD LOST AN ENGINE AND A SHORT TIME LATER INDICATED THAT HE HAD LOST THE OTHER ENGINE. THE ACFT CRASHED IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. THERE WAS NO FIRE AND ONLY RESIDUAL FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE AIRPLANE. THE COMPANY PRESIDENT INDICATED THAT HE DID NOT ENCOURAGE HIS PILOTS TO CARRY 'EXCESS FUEL'. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THIS PILOT, ALONG WITH OTHERS, HAD BEEN 'CHEWED OUT' FOR CARRYING 'EXCESS FUEL'. THE OPERATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED UNDER FAR 135 RULES SINCE THE COMPANY HAD RETAINED OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF THE OPERATION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FUEL EXHAUSTION PRECIPATATED BY THE INADEQUATE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS PERFORMED BY THE PILOT, PRESSURE FROM THE COMPANY PRESIDENT TO NOT CARRY EXCESS FUEL AND IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISIONS BY THE PILOT BY NOT REFUELING ENROUTE BEFORE FUEL WAS EXHAUSTED. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE INADEQUATE SURVEILLANCE AND CERTIFICATION OF THE OPERATOR BY THE FAA.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/3/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 812 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | SPRINGFIELD |
| Event State | OHIO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 45501 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | BECKLEY MUN. |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SGH |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 3 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 40 |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 830 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 276 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DAY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1009 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 17 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Obscured |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -3 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 350 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 391 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 3 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 920 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 38770 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9034Y |
| NTSB Number | ATL89FA066 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-31 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-31 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 31-47 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6500 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 1 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 102 |
| Airframe Hours | 5906 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | APOLLO II LIMITED |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | WILLOW RUN ARPT., BOX 843 |
| Aircraft Owner City | YPSILANTI |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 48198 |
| 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 | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MQJ |
| Departure City | INDIANAPOLIS |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 725 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | OSU |
| Destination City | COLUMBUS |
| Destination State | OH |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |