Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Picayune, Mississippi 39466
Monday, June 4, 2001 15:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, he was enroute when the engine lost power and quit. During an emergency descent out of 4500 feet, the pilot attempted to restore full engine power but failed. During the emergency descent to land in a hilly farm field, the airplane's left wing struck a utility pole severing the left wing from the airplane. During the onsite inspection, the two main fuel tanks were found to be empty as well as the right auxiliary fuel tank. The left auxiliary fuel tank had approximately 11.5 gallons.
The pilot attempted, but was unable to switch to the left auxiliary fuel tank due to a blown fuse. The fuses to the auxiliary fuel tanks are not accessible to the pilot in flight, this resulted in his inability to check them for condition or replace them, in flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inflight fuel planning /decision that resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power. A factor was the failure of the fuel transfer pump.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/4/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Picayune |
| Event State | MISSISSIPPI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 39466 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | Yes |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 253 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KGTT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 40 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 22 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 18 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 22 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.96 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR 041953Z 17015G22KT 10SM SCT018 BKN022 BKN029 |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 10397 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 5 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 956 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 13 2001 9:42AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Jackson FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N18PF |
| NTSB Number | ATL01LA062 |
| 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 | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172L |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17260457 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 7 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 36.2 |
| Airframe Hours | 4626.12 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | William Polhemus |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3876 South Eufaula Avenue |
| Aircraft Owner City | Eufaula |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 36027 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Sam Angus LeMaistre, Jr. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 230 Cypress Cove Drive |
| Operator City | Eufaula |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 36027 |
| 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 | KEUF |
| Departure City | Eufaula |
| Departure State | MS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1315 |
| Departure Time Zone | UTC |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KBXA |
| Destination City | Bogolusa |
| Destination State | LA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 23 2001 9:38AM |
| User who most recently changed record | PREJ |
| 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 | -- |