Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Immokalee, Florida 34142
Friday, January 3, 2003 12:10 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, 20 minutes into the flight the engine flammed out while the airplane was in a left bank. As the pilot maneuvered for an emergency landing, the airplane's left wingtip struck trees, and the airplane collided with the ground. According to the pilot, in his preflight planning he did not compute the fuel consumption or reference the pilot operating handbook for the intended trip. The pilot stated he did not refuel the airplane after the initial load bearing trip. The pilot stated that this accident could have been prevented if he refueled the airplane before the initial load. According to the pilot this airplane is "notorious for poor fuel feeding when low on fuel".
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision by his improper fuel management which resulted in fuel starvation. Also causal was the pilot's inadequate preflight planning which resulted in his failure to perform fuel consumption calculations and refueling of the aircraft.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/3/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1210 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Immokalee |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 34142 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 263217N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0814531W |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RSW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 30 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2600 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.01 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 17085 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 3 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1247 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 27 2005 3:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Fort Lauderdale FSDO-17 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N45051 |
| NTSB Number | ATL03LA029 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Mielec |
| Aircraft Model | PZL-M-18 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 12011-04 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 11700 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 23 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 15 |
| Airframe Hours | 1885 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Airwork Enterprises of Florida Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O.Box 5100 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Immokalee |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 34143 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Douglas Hodges |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 203 S Hickory |
| Operator City | Labelle |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 33935 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| 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) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | IMM |
| Departure City | Immokalee |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1115 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | PVT |
| Destination City | Hendry County |
| Destination State | FL |
| 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 | Dec 9 2003 3:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| 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 | -- |