Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Central Nebraska Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Grand Isle, Nebraska 68801
Tuesady, December 18, 2012 14:49 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The student pilot reported that he completed two full-stop landings without incident. He stated that, during the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern for the third landing, the turn was “rushed” due to the traffic. While on the downwind leg, the tower controller advised the student of traffic, and the leg was extended. The student stated that, during his prelanding instrument check, he noted that the selected right fuel tank was empty and that he then selected the left fuel tank, which indicated that 3/8 of a tank of fuel was remaining. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power, and the student pilot landed it to a field on airport property. The student pilot stated that, immediately after the forced landing, he started the airplane and taxied back to the ramp with the left fuel tank still selected. A mechanic inspected the engine fuel injection system and found no blockage or contamination in the distribution manifold or the fuel injector nozzles. He also drained the remaining fuel from both fuel tanks and found that the right fuel tank had 1.5 quarts of fuel remaining and that the left fuel tank had 19.75 gallons of fuel remaining. Therefore, it is likely that the student pilot was distracted by airport traffic and did not switch from the empty fuel tank to the fuel tank with fuel remaining in a timely manner, thus starving the engine of fuel. Given the proximity to the ground, the student pilot did not have time to attempt to restart the engine.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The student pilot's inadequate fuel management due to distraction by airport traffic, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/18/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1449 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Grand Isle |
| Event State | NEBRASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 68801 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 405731N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0981722W |
| Event Location Airport | Central Nebraska Regional |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KGRI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.9 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1843 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KGRI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1843 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 16 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.7 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31901 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Lincoln, NE FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 5 2013 11:49AM |
| User who most recently changed record | bots |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3573R |
| NTSB Number | CEN13LA109 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | A23 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | M-756 |
| 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 | LONESOME VALLEY RANCH INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | HC 79 BOX 79 |
| Aircraft Owner City | GOTHENBURG |
| Aircraft Owner State | NE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 69138-9122 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Perry Loostrum |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | HC 79 BOX 79 |
| Operator City | GOTHENBURG |
| Operator State | NE |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 69138-9122 |
| 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 | KMCK |
| Departure City | McCook |
| Departure State | NE |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | KGRI |
| Destination City | Grand Isle |
| Destination State | NE |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 19 2012 5:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bots |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31 |
| Runway Length | 6608 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |