Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Mobile Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mobile, Alabama 36601
Thursday, October 28, 2004 21:15 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that the engine lost power approximately 10-20 miles north-northwest of Mobile Regional Airport, while flying at 8,500 feet. Attempts by the pilot to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The pilot radioed Mobile Control Tower and reported his loss of engine power. The tower controller cleared the flight to land on runway 14. The airplane collided with the ground 300 feet short of the runway 14. The examination of the airplane revealed that the engine compartment firewall and forward fuselage were buckled. The crankshaft was manually rotated through 360 degrees and engine drive-train continuity was established. The right magneto produced an ignition spark to each spark plug ignition lead when rotated. Examination of the fuel system revealed that both wing fuel tanks were intact, and less than one pint of 100 low lead fuel was recovered from the right wing fuel tank. No other fuel was recovered from the fuel system. No anomalies with the airframe or engine were observed. According to refueling records, the airplane was last topped off on October 27, 2004. There were no other refueling records from October 28, 2004. The airplane had flown one hour on October 28, 2004 before the accident flight, and was not refueled before the accident flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and his inadequate in-flight planning/decision which resulted in fuel exhaustion and subsequent collision with the ground.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/28/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 2115 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Mobile |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 36601 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 303735N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0880404W |
| Event Location Airport | Mobile Regional Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MOB |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 320 |
| Airport Elevation | 219 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2056 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 320 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KMOB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 219 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| 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) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 230 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.16 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 856 |
| 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) | 17393 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Communication Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 29 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 730 |
| 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 | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Birmingham FSDO-09 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2845Q |
| NTSB Number | ATL05CA016 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17259845 |
| 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 | Oct 18 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5840.6 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Gulf Atlantic Airways |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4701 N.E. Terrace |
| Aircraft Owner City | Gainesville |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32609 |
| 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 | Gainesville |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32609 |
| 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 | GNV |
| Departure City | Gainesville |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1830 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BTR |
| Destination City | Baton Rouge |
| Destination State | LA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 14 |
| Runway Length | 8521 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |