Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564
Friday, September 19, 2003 11:55 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that he flew the accident airplane 2 days before the accident date for approximately 4.0 hours and after landing, the airplane was serviced. He also flew the accident airplane the day before the accident date a total of 5.5 hours; after landing a total of 37.0 gallons of fuel were added to the fuel tanks. On the morning of the accident, he arrived at the departure airport about 0800, and departed about 0905. Approximately 1 hour 25 minutes after takeoff (about 1030), he began transferring fuel from the auxiliary fuel tank. The flight continued and at about 1140, he proceeded to return to the departure airport for shift change. Approximately 15 minutes later, he experienced, "engine trouble" which consisted of, "spitting and sputtering." He switched the fuel selector back and forth numerous times with no response, along with switching the electric fuel transfer switch on and off, with no effect. He reported the fuel transfer switch had been on since 1030 hours. He initiated emergency procedures, ditched the airplane which went inverted after touchdown, and exited the airplane. The pilot reported to FAA personnel that he believed there was a malfunction with the auxiliary fuel tank pump which transfers fuel to the right fuel tank. Examination of the airplane the day after the accident by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed both fuel tanks contained approximately 1/4 quart of fuel; the fuel drained from the left tank was reported to be cloudy, while approximately 1/2 quart of water was also drained from the right fuel tank. The gascolator was noted to have a thimbleful of clean fuel. The installed auxiliary fuel tank which was installed in accordance with a Supplemental Type Certificate in December 1989, was noted to be nearly full of fuel. Operational testing of the auxiliary fuel tank pump was successful; the pump transferred approximately 15 gallons of fuel into the right fuel tank in about a 3-hour period. According to the STC holder, the transfer pump is designed to transfer 8-gallons of fuel per hour into the right main fuel tank.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the pilot to transfer fuel from the auxiliary fuel tank to the right main fuel tank in-flight resulting in total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/19/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1155 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Ocean Springs |
| Event State | MISSISSIPPI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 39564 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 302000N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0884200W |
| 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 | 1153 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KPQL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 17 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| 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) | 15357 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 19 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1418 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 28 2004 3:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Jackson, Mississippi |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N79491 |
| NTSB Number | MIA03LA185 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172K |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17258128 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 11 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 10724.4 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Omega Protein Corp. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 835 Pride Drive #A |
| Aircraft Owner City | Hammond |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 70401 |
| 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) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KPQL |
| Departure City | Pascagoula |
| Departure State | MS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 905 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KPQL |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - flare/touchdown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 3 2004 3:39PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |