Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fitzgerald, Georgia 31750
Saturday, January 18, 2003 13:07 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, the flight was uneventful until he switched fuel tanks near Macon, Georgia. Several minutes after the fuel selectors were switched the pilot reported a loss of left engine power. The pilot declared an emergency and requested radar vectors to the nearest airport. While en route to the nearest airport, the right engine lost power. The pilot selected and open field and attempted a forced landing. During the forced landing, the nose wheel assembly collapsed, and the left wing collided with a tree. Both engines were test run after the accident and they operated without any anomalies. A total of sixty gallons of fuel was recovered from the airplane during the recovery from the accident site. The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane before the accident. The post-accident examination of the airplane failed to disclose a mechanical problem.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's mismanagement of the fuel supply that resulted in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power in both engines. A factor was a tree.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/18/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1307 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Fitzgerald |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 31750 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 314101N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0831613W |
| 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 | 1253 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 200 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TLH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 81 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 60 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| 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) | 5 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| 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) | 30.26 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -1463 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19801 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 18 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1338 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 28 2006 1:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Atlanta FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N115HF |
| NTSB Number | ATL03LA036 |
| 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 | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | 65 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | LF56 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 8000 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 9 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 160 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JAP Air LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 900 Henson Drive |
| Aircraft Owner City | Monroe |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 30655 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | James A. Pritchard |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2465 Sugarloaf Place |
| Operator City | Duluth |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 30097 |
| 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 | LZU |
| Departure City | Lawrenceville, |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | VLD |
| Destination City | Valdosta |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | Yes |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 19 2004 2:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |