Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Cleveland, Texas 77327
Monday, June 26, 1989 3:00 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AIRPLANE WAS ON A REGULAR NIGHT PART 135 FLIGHT AND WAS 17 MILES FROM DESTINATION WHEN ONE ENGINE STARTED TO SURGE AND LOST POWER. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND SAID HE WAS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. ATC VECTORED AIRPLANE TO CLOSEST AIRPORT BUT AIRPORT DID NOT HAVE BEACON LIGHTED AND PILOT WAS LOW OVER AIRPORT BEFORE HE SAW IT. THEN THE OTHER ENGINE SURGED AND THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING OFF THE AIRPORT IN HEAVY UNDERBRUSH AND ROUGH TERRAIN. INSPECTION REVEALED AIRPLANE HAD 23 GALLONS OF FUEL IN RIGHT WING, 3 GALLONS IN FUSELAGE TANK, AND ZERO FUEL IN LEFT TANK. PLT SAID AFTER THE ACC HE DECIDED NOT TO CROSS FEED BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THE FUSELAGE TANK HAD ENOUGH FUEL.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, DUE TO FUEL STARVATION BECAUSE THE PLT MISJUDGED HIS FUEL SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION OF FUEL PER TANKS, AND AS A RESULT MISMANAGED THE SUPPLY REMAINING.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/26/1989
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 300
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City CLEVELAND
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 77327
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport MUNICIPAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 6R3
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 135
Airport Elevation 151
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
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) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 120
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 20
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
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) 576
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 26 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 430
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39980
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:46PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N601MF
NTSB Number FTW89LA118
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-601B
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-601B
Aircraft Serial Number 6108388162
Certified Max Gross Weight 6000
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 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jun 14 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 58
Airframe Hours 2056
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CONROE AVIATION SERVICES, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 642
Aircraft Owner City CONROE
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 77305
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 Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code BTR
Departure City BATON ROUGE
Departure State LA
Departure Country
Departure Time 200
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code CXO
Destination City CONROE
Destination State TX
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
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 --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --