Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Sarasota International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sarasota, Florida 34243
Friday, June 23, 2006 9:05 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private certificated pilot reported that he preflighted his airplane, and sumped the fuel tanks in preparation for the Title 14, CFR Part 91 flight. He said he found some debris, but continued to sump the tanks until he obtained clean fuel. He looked in the fuel tanks, confirmed the presence of fuel, and rocked the wings and heard a sloshing sound from each tank. The pilot reported that the fuel totalizer indicated 10 gallons of fuel in the tanks. After takeoff, he made a left turn, and the engine began to run rough. He requested a return to the departure airport, stating that he had a fuel problem. He was unable to reach the airport, and ditched the airplane with the landing gear up, about 50 yards from shore. The pilot said that the engine continued to run roughly during the emergency descent, and was running upon contact with the water. He indicated that he believed the cause of accident was debris in the fuel tank, picked up during the turn. He also said that it was "entirely possible that this circumstance could have been avoided if there was a greater quantity of fuel in the tank." After the airplane was recovered, an FAA inspector examined the airplane and found a small amount of fuel that sloshed at the bottom of the tanks. He pulled the fuel sump drain, but no fuel discharge was observed. The inspector indicated that his review of air traffic control tapes revealed that the pilot requested to land due to fuel starvation. The inspector also reported that in his conversations with the pilot, the pilot told him that the estimate of fuel in the tanks was based on the fuel totalizer indication. The pilot did not attempt to measure the fuel, but opened the fuel caps to see some fuel sloshing in the tanks.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the fuel system, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power during cruise flight, and a subsequent ditching. Factors contributing to the accident were a low fuel level at departure, and fuel contamination.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/23/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 905 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Sarasota |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 34243 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 272252N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0823353W |
| Event Location Airport | Sarasota International |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KSRQ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 30 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 909 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KSRQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 30 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| 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 | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 20859 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Atlanta Regional Operation |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 23 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 31 2007 9:40AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA Southern Region Tampa FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1052D |
| NTSB Number | ANC06LA079 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Rockwell |
| Aircraft Model | 112TCA |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 13152 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2950 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Robert M. Cropper |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Sarasota |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 34231 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KSRQ |
| Departure City | Sarasota |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 858 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KVNC |
| Destination City | Venice |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - final approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 14 2006 3:44PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| 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 | -- |