Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Heart Of Georgia Regional Air Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Eastman, Georgia 31023
Tuesady, August 10, 2010 1:55 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certified flight instructor (CFI) stated that the fuel tanks were approximately full prior to the instructional cross-country flight. During the descent, the left engine and then the right engine lost total engine power. The CFI assumed control of the airplane and initiated an engine restart, which was unsuccessful. The airplane struck several trees and came to rest inverted. According to the airplane’s pilot operating handbook, in order to begin restoring power, the fuel selector must be in the "ON" position. Examination of the wreckage indicated that the fuel selector valves were in the "OFF" positions; further, no malfunctions or anomalies were found to prevent the engines from operating normally. According to both pilots, neither could recall turning the fuel selector valves to the "OFF" positions. In a written statement provided by the flight school's assistant chief flight instructor, a rear seat passenger would be able to inadvertently retard both fuel selector valves to the "OFF" position. Although it is probable that the inadvertent retarding of the selector valves caused the initial engine failures, there was no evidence to indicate that the engines could not have been restarted had the air start or the engine securing procedure checklists been accomplished and the fuel selector valves been placed in the "ON" position.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Both pilots’ failure to use emergency checklist procedures for restarting the engine after the loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/10/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 155 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Eastman |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 31023 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 321153N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0830804W |
| Event Location Airport | Heart of Georgia Regional Air |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | EZM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 304 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 158 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DBN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 309 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 22 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| 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) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.99 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29077 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 14 2011 2:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N730FT |
| NTSB Number | ERA10LA410 |
| 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 | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-44-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 44-7995190 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 3 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 6742 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JULES AIRCRAFT INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | KISSIMMEE |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 34741-4675 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Orlando Flight Academy |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Merritt Island |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32920 |
| 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 | SGJ |
| Departure City | St. Augustine |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | EZM |
| Destination City | Eastman |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 14 2011 2:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 02 |
| Runway Length | 6506 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |