Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Jackson Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jackson, Alabama 39201
Monday, April 8, 2002 8:50 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated the airplane was topped off with fuel. About an hour into the flight, power was lost in both engines. The pilot executed an emergency landing in a field and exited the airplane. The pilot stated she saw the fuel cap was off and hanging by its chain. Examination of the airplane revealed there was no fuel in the fuel system, and there was no evidence of fuel splatter on the wing, fuselage, or tail surfaces. The wing skin around the fuel fill port and chain attachment displayed no scratches nor dents. The fuel cap chain assembly was of the type designed to break free at 20 knots airspeed in the event a fuel cap is left unsecured, and the airplane was equipped with a non-siphoning fuel fill port. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction, and no evidence of defect was observed with the fuel cap chain.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power in both engines, and subsequent forced landing in a field.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 4/8/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 850 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Jackson |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 39201 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 312819N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0875341W |
| Event Location Airport | Jackson Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 4R3 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 3 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 22 |
| Airport Elevation | 39 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 953 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 95 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GZH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 258 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 45 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2900 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| 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) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 20 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.09 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 850 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13672 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 8 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1422 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 23 2003 8:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | ALABAMA FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8536 |
| NTSB Number | ATL02IA079 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Rockwell International |
| Aircraft Model | 500-S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3267 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6750 |
| 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 | Mar 30 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 11.2 |
| Airframe Hours | 12610.6 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Air Carriers, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 900 Mitchell Field Rd |
| Aircraft Owner City | Bessemer |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 35021 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Air Carriers, Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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 | -- |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | EKY |
| Departure City | Bessemer |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 750 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BFM |
| Destination City | Mobile |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 3 2003 8:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18 |
| Runway Length | 4995 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |