Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Charlotte Douglas Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fort Mill, South Carolina 29708
Tuesady, June 17, 2003 22:39 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was receiving vectors from air traffic control for an ILS approach to runway 36R at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina. After leveling off from a turn during his last vector, he heard a loud noise and the engine lost power. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful, and the pilot aligned the airplane with a road for an emergency landing. During the descent, the airplane struck trees and power lines, then collided with the pavement and caught fire. The pilot escaped through the cargo door, and the cabin area was fire damaged. The right wing had evidence of a wire strike at the position of the right main fuel tank but the main tank was not burned. According to the pilot, the airplane had been airborne for a total 2 hours, 29 minutes on the two legs since refueling at which time the tanks were topped off. A review of fuel usage records for the airplane, the engine consumes approximately 15 gallons of fuel per hour. The Cherokee Six is equipped with two main fuel tanks with a capacity of 25 gallons each, and two auxiliary fuel tanks with a capacity of 17 gallons each.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent loss of engine power.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/17/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2239 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Fort Mill |
| Event State | SOUTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 29708 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 351300N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0805659W |
| Event Location Airport | Charlotte Douglas Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CLT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 11 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 330 |
| Airport Elevation | 748 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1051 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 330 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CLT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 748 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.07 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| 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) | 17381 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Com Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 17 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1140 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 30 2005 6:20AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Columbia FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N685BW |
| NTSB Number | ATL03LA108 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-7440017 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 31 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 57.4 |
| Airframe Hours | 3922.3 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Race City Air, LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 129 Mooresville Cove Rd. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Mooresville |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 28117 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Package Express |
| 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 | X6PA |
| 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 | RDU |
| Departure City | Raleigh Durham |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2125 |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CLT |
| Destination City | Charlotte |
| Destination State | NC |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 11 2006 2:41PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |