Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Erie, Pennsylvania 16511
Thursday, December 28, 1989 12:01 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT DEPARTED ON A LOCAL VFR FLIGHT AT 1117. AT 1154 HE CONTACTED ERIE TOWER FOR LANDING. HE THEN ADVISED THE TOWER AT 1159 THAT HE HAD FEATHERED THE RIGHT ENGINE. ONE MINUTE LATER HE REPORTED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE WAS '...KICKING OUT.' THE AIRCRAFT STALLED INTO A HOUSE 6 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, AND JUST SHORT OF THE SHORELINE OF LAKE ERIE. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE RIGHT WING. 7 GALS WERE DRAINED FROM THE LEFT WING; NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE LEFT ENG. RIGHT FUEL QUANTITY C/B SECURED IN OUT POSITION BY WIRE TIE; SEVERAL BURNED COMPONENTS FOUND ON BACK OF RIGHT FUEL QUANTITY GAGE PC BOARD. MOST RECENT RECORD OF FUEL PURCHASE WHICH COULD BE FOUND WAS FOR MAY 25, 1989. A POCKET DIARY WAS FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE WHICH CONTAINED ENTRIES OF FLIGHT TIMES AND FUEL QUANTITY NOTATIONS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL ON BOARD FOR THE INTENDED FLIGHT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE AN INOPERATIVE RIGHT FUEL QUANTITY GAGE WHICH RESULTED IN INACCURATE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS, AND AN INADVERTENT STALL AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTRD TO REACH A LAKE SHORE FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/28/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1201 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | ERIE |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 16511 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1203 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ERI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 720 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| 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) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| 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 | Light |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2256 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 28 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 42016 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 1:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N478AD |
| NTSB Number | CHI90FA050 |
| 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 | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | 60 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 60 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | P-59 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6775 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| 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 | AUTOMATION DEVICES, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | AUTOMATION PARK, PO BOX AD |
| Operator City | FAIRVIEW |
| Operator State | PA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 16415 |
| 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 | ERI |
| Departure City | ERIE |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1117 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| 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 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |