Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Washington County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Washington, Pennsylvania 15268
Thursday, May 12, 2011 13:16 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot departed without conducting a preflight inspection and with an unknown quantity of fuel. Shortly after takeoff, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but did not follow the published emergency procedure, and the engine did not restart. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field. Postaccident examination of the airplane at the scene by HAZMAT responders revealed no external odor of fuel and no evidence of fuel spillage. The left fuel tank contained only trace amounts of fuel; the fuel selector was on the left tank position. Integrity and continuity of the fuel system was confirmed from both fuel tanks, through the fuel selector, to the engine. The engine was test run and it operated satisfactorily. According to the Pilot Operating Handbook, the takeoff procedures are not to takeoff with less than 13 gallons of fuel indicated in either tank, and the emergency procedures are to switch the selector to the fuller tank. The examination did not disclose any evidence of a mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, as a result of the pilot's improper fuel management and preflight inspection. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to comply with the manufacturer's published takeoff and emergency procedures.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/12/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1316 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Washington |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 15268 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 400723N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0801834W |
| Event Location Airport | Washington County |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AFJ |
| 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 | 1184 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AFJ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1184 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| 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) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| 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) | 29.96 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29528 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 23 2012 3:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1554W |
| NTSB Number | ERA11FA295 |
| 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 | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | G33 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | CD-1286 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3690 |
| 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 | May 11 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 1230 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SCARROW LLOYD W |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SANTA FE |
| Aircraft Owner State | NM |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 87501 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | SCARROW LLOYD W |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | SANTA FE |
| Operator State | NM |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 87501 |
| 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 | AFJ |
| Departure City | Washington |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1300 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FWQ |
| Destination City | Monongahela |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 23 2012 10:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 09 |
| Runway Length | 5004 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |