Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Martha's Vineyard Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts 02568
Sunday, May 28, 2006 13:38 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Prior to departure, the pilot requested fuel be added to the airplane until it reached "two inches below the filler neck." He reported that he was concerned with the weight and balance of the airplane and therefore did not want to fill the tanks to full. The pilot departed and flew at an altitude of 1,500 to 2,000 feet, and a power setting of 2,500 rpm. While on final approach to the destination airport, the engine "ran rough and sputtered," and then lost power. The pilot declared an emergency and reported to air traffic controllers that he was "out of fuel." He then unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine, and performed a forced landing to a field. A State Police Trooper observed no fuel in either fuel tank upon his arrival to the scene, and the pilot stated to him that he "ran out of fuel." A review of the fuel log from the departure airport revealed the airplane was fueled with 14.2 gallons of fuel prior to the pilot's departure. According to the Cessna 172N Pilot Operating Handbook, the airplane's engine consumed approximately 8.4 gallons per hour at an altitude of 2,000 feet, and a power setting of 2,500 rpm.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper preflight planning and improper fuel consumption calculations, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent loss of engine power.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/28/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1338 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Vineyard Haven |
| Event State | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 02568 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 412334N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0703651W |
| Event Location Airport | Martha's Vineyard Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MVY |
| 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 | 67 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MVY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 67 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 50 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.13 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 21819 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NEROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 28 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 25 2007 12:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | BOS FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N738HE |
| NTSB Number | NYC06LA124 |
| 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 | C-172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17269983 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 9254 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Old Town Aviation Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Old Town |
| Aircraft Owner State | ME |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 04468 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | OLD |
| Departure City | Old Town |
| Departure State | ME |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | MVY |
| Destination City | Vineyard Haven |
| Destination State | MA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 15 2007 1:04PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MUZD |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |