Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Dekalb, Illinois 60115
Wednesday, March 7, 2001 13:15
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot said that he was sightseeing with a passenger in his airplane. While maneuvering, the airplane's engine lost power at approximately 1,000 feet above the ground. The pilot executed a descending left turn and made a downwind forced landing to a corn stubble field. The pilot said that he had insufficient altitude to attempt a restart. He also said that he never tried to switch the fuel selector to the other fuel tank. An examination of the airplane showed the fuel selector switch positioned to the left fuel tank. The left fuel tank showed no evidence of fuel. The right fuel tank showed fuel present. No other anomalies were revealed with the airplane. The surface winds at the accident site were estimated to be 240 degrees at 20 knots with gusts to 30 knots. Blood alcohol tests conducted by local law enforcement officials on the pilot showed the pilot having a blood alcohol level of 0.08. Federal Aviation Regulation Part 91, paragraph 91.17 (a) states that no person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft while under the influence of alcohol and while having 0.04 percent by weight or more alcohol in the blood.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Fuel starvation, the pilot not switching the fuel selector to the other fuel tank, and the pilot not maintaining control of the airplane through the forced landing attempt. Factors relating to this accident were the pilot's inadequate fuel management, the pilot's improper in-flight planning and decisions, the pilot's impairment(alcohol), the rough/uneven terrain, the strong tailwind and the gusts.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/7/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1315 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | DEKALB |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 60115 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 130 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ARR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 706 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 30000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.07 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -381 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11445 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 7 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1345 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 20 2002 1:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WEST CHICAGO, ILLINOIS FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9886U |
| NTSB Number | CHI01LA099 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Grumman American |
| Aircraft Model | AA-1C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0149 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1560 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2000 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | EDWARD T. MARCOSKI |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 727 BERKSHIRE COURT |
| Aircraft Owner City | DOWNERS GROVE |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60516 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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 | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | ARR |
| Departure City | SUGAR GROVE |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1230 |
| 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 | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 4 2002 4:19PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |