Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Stalwart, Michigan 49736
Saturday, November 23, 2002 12:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While in cruise descent the left engine experienced a loss of engine power and the pilot performed a forced landing on an agricultural field. The pilot stated he checked the fuel quantity gauges and the "left fuel quantity was reading 1/4 tank and the fuel selector remained on the inboard tanks because the [gauge] indicated fuel in the tank." The pilot reported that he did not secure the left engine and feather the propeller because "the [left] engine was creating some thrust and this could be needed to reach land." The aircraft was situated over Lake Huron when the left engine experienced the loss of engine power. All four fuel tanks were drained during a post-accident inspection. The two inboard fuel tanks were empty and a total of 70 gallons of fuel was recovered from the two outboard tanks. The fuel tanks were not ruptured or damaged. The left engine started and ran without anomalies when the fuel selector was positioned on the outboard tank. The pilot reported that prior to departure "all fuel tanks were topped off", totaling 144 gallons.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper fuel management during the flight and the pilot's improper decision not to select the outboard fuel tank when a loss of engine power was experienced, resulting in fuel starvation, a sustained loss of engine power, and subsequent forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/23/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1200 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Stalwart |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49736 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 460212N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0842512W |
| 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 | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1155 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 351 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CIU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 799 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| 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) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.68 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -521 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13925 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 23 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1229 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 30 2003 9:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA, Grand Rapids FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5985Y |
| NTSB Number | CHI03LA029 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-23-250 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 27-3158 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5200 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 1 2001 12:00AM |
| 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 | Willie L. Shaw |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 20052 Gilchrist Street |
| Aircraft Owner City | Detroit |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 48235 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | DUH |
| Departure City | Lambertville |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1030 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | Y66 |
| Destination City | Drummond Island |
| Destination State | MI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency descent/landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 1 2003 9:11AM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |