Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Brockport, New York 14420
Sunday, June 1, 2008 12:03 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The student pilot performed a preflight inspection on the airplane prior to the instructional flight and observed 6 gallons of fuel in each fuel tank. The flight instructor and student then departed and flew to another airport to practice touch-and-go landings. After flying for approximately 1 hour during the return flight, the engine started to "shake" and then lost power. The flight instructor performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane impacted trees. Examination of the airplane revealed approximately 1 gallon of fuel in the right tank and 1 quart of fuel in the left tank. The fuel tanks were not compromised and there was no indication of a fuel leak in the fuel system. No fuel was observed in the fuel line from the fuel tank to the fuel strainer. Prior to the accident flight, the airplane was flown by another pilot for 1.7 hours. The pilot who flew the previous flight departed with 18 gallons of fuel. Fuel consumption calculations performed by a representative of the manufacturer revealed that the accident flight would have consumed 8.4 gallons of fuel. The previous flight (1.7 hours in duration) would have consumed 11.5 gallons. The flight instructor did not verify the fuel quantity prior to departure, did not perform any preflight or en route fuel consumption calculations, and did not refuel the airplane at either airport.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the flight instructor's inadequate preflight planning.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/1/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1203 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Brockport |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 14420 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 431052N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0775456W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ROC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | -- |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 19 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25431 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern Regional Communica |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 1 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 8 2009 2:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | ROC FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3910R |
| NTSB Number | NYC08LA199 |
| 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 | 172H |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17255410 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MERRITT AIRE LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2400 COLBY ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | BROCKPORT |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 14420-9765 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Merritt Aire LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Brockport |
| Operator State | NY |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 14420 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GVQ |
| Departure City | Batavia |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 7G0 |
| Destination City | Brockport |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 2 2009 1:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |