Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bullhead City, Arizona 86430
Wednesday, August 30, 1989 17:40 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AIRPORT UNICOM OPERATOR REPORTED THAT THE HE WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THE PILOT. THE OPERATOR STATED THAT THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS OUT OF FUEL AND EXECUTING AN EMERGENCY LANDING ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE DEPARTED BTF WITH 38 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL ON BOARD FOR THE 350 NM TRIP, WHICH HE REPORTEDLY HAD MADE MANY TIMES BEFORE. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE TYPICAL ENROUTE TIME FOR THE TRIP WAS 3.5 TO 4.0 HOURS WITH A FUEL CONSUMPTION OF 24 TO 28 GALLONS. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT CHANGED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT TANK AND RAN IT DRY, A PROCEDURE HE TYPICALLY USED FOR THIS TRIP. THE PILOT NOTED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED HEADWINDS ENROUTE AND THE LEFT TANK WENT DRY EARLIER THAN NORMAL, HOWEVER, 'THE EARLY SWITCH DID NOT CAUSE ANY CONCERN.' AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE ESTIMATED ELAPSED TIME ENROUTE WAS FOUR HOURS AND FORTY MINUTES.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ADEQUATELY PERFORM INFLIGHT FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS TO ENSURE THE ADEQUACY OF THE FUEL SUPPLY FOR THE FLIGHT'S COMPLETION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO CONSIDER THE IMPACT OF THE STRONGER THAN ANTICIPATED HEADWIND COMPONENT TO THE FUEL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FLIGHT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/30/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1740 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | BULLHEAD CITY |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86430 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| 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 | Pilot |
| 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 | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1986 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 30 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1915 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 41182 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:58PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6270E |
| NTSB Number | LAX89LA292 |
| 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 | 172 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 46370 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2200 |
| 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 | CENTRAL ALARM, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2166 SOUTH 900 EAST |
| Aircraft Owner City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 84106 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 295 CHAPELA WAY #10124 |
| Operator City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Operator State | UT |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 84108 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BTF |
| Departure City | BOUNTIFUL |
| Departure State | UT |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | P06 |
| Destination City | BULLHEAD CITY |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - flare/touchdown |
| 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 | -- |