Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Suffolk Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Suffolk, Virginia 23434
Monday, August 3, 2009 17:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that he departed with ¼ tank of fuel in the right and left fuel tanks. He said that he was flying around for approximately an hour before he began "buzzing" his house. The engine then lost power and he made an emergency forced landing on a road when, during rollout, the airplane collided with a tree. Examination of the fuel system revealed that both fuel tanks were empty and were not breached. Further examination revealed that the airplane was equipped with electronic fuel quantity indicators. Examination of the electronic fuel indicators revealed that both indicators were not functioning correctly. Review of the Dual Fuel Level (FL-2) operating and installation instructions stated: "do not solely rely on the FL-2 to determine the fuel levels in the fuel tanks." Examination of the airframe and engine by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot’s failure to accurately calculate the fuel required for the flight. Contributing to the accident was a malfunction of the fuel quantity indicators.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/3/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1700 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Suffolk |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 23434 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 364034N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0763604W |
| Event Location Airport | Suffolk |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SFQ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 11 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 72 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1701 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SFQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 72 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Dawn |
| 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) | 33 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| 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) | 29.97 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26132 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2009 9:23AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3549N |
| NTSB Number | ERA09LA441 |
| 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 | MOONEY |
| Aircraft Model | M20F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 680093 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RG RENTALS LTD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1916 HIGHLAND AVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAS VEGAS |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89102-4634 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | RG RENTALS LTD |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1916 HIGHLAND AVE |
| Operator City | LAS VEGAS |
| Operator State | NV |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 89102-4634 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | Yes |
| 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 | SFQ |
| Departure City | Suffolk |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1630 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | SFQ |
| Destination City | Suffolk |
| Destination State | VA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2009 9:23AM |
| 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 | -- |