Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sitka Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sitka, Alaska 99835
Sunday, August 10, 2008 21:40 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private pilot departed on an instrument-flight-rules (IFR), cross-country flight after obtaining fuel. The next planned fuel stop was about 741.5 nautical miles away. IFR weather conditions prevailed along the flight, but visual conditions existed at the next airport, where the pilot landed in order to obtain fuel. The pilot subsequently departed and contacted an Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) specialist to say that he was unable to refuel at that airport. He then requested a clearance to another airport, about 83.4 nautical miles away, and stated: “I hope we have enough fuel.” The ARTCC specialist offered a closer airport that was about 36 miles east. The pilot requested a clearance for the Localizer-Type Directional Aid (LDA) approach to the closer airport. During the initial stages of the approach, the pilot appeared to be unsure about the LDA approach procedures, and was unable to join the localizer for the approach. The ARTCC specialist asked the pilot if he wanted to try another approach, and the pilot said that he wanted to continue on to the airport that was 83.4 miles away instead. About 1 hour after the airplane had departed in search of additional fuel, and about 2 minutes before the accident, the ARTCC specialist contacted the pilot to request an estimate of his remaining fuel. The pilot’s last garbled radio transmission was: "Looks like we're having trouble with our left engine." A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter located the airplane's wreckage in an area of mountainous, tree-covered terrain along the anticipated flight route. A responding state trooper reported that the airplane's fuel tanks were empty. Fuel consumption calculations disclosed that the estimated fuel remaining when the airplane arrived at the destination airport (where fuel was not available) was equivalent to about 1 hour and 11 minutes flight time at a cruise power setting. No mechanical problems with the airplane were discovered during postaccident inspections by the NTSB.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power in flight due to fuel exhaustion resulting from the pilot's inadequate fuel planning and navigation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/10/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2140 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Sitka |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99835 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 573922N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1351950W |
| Event Location Airport | Sitka Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SIT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 28 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 21 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2053 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 340 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SIT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 21 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 28 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| 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) | 30.01 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25783 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ANC FAA, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 10 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 20 2009 1:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Juneau FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N98HA |
| NTSB Number | ANC08FA104 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | 95-B55 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TC-2111 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5100 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 5 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 93 |
| Airframe Hours | 3617 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | C91 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MARKETING DIMENSIONS INTERNATIONAL |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | BREVARD |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 28712 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Harold J. Gaines |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | BREVARD |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 28712 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GST |
| Departure City | Gustavus |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2045 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | SIT |
| Destination City | Sitka |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency descent/landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 20 2009 11:27AM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |