HAMILTON, AL, USA
N9696
GRUMMAN G-164A
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT ABOUT ONE HOUR AND FORTY TWO MINUTES INTO THE FERRY FLIGHT, THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FORCE LANDED INTO FORESTED AREA, WHERE IT COLLIDED WITH TREES AND TERRAIN. THE PILOT CALCULATED THAT THERE WAS ABOUT TWO HOURS AND TWENTY MINUTES OF FUEL ON BOARD WHEN THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED. THE OPERATOR PROVIDED FUEL BURN DATA FROM PREVIOUS FLIGHTS, HOWEVER THIS DATA WAS BASED ON A GROUND SPEED OF ABOUT 78 KNOTS, WITH 28 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND 2,000 RPM. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AVERAGE GROUND SPEED DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS ABOUT 100 KNOTS, WHICH WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A HIGHER ENGINE POWER SETTING. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A FUEL LEAK.
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY CALCULATE FUEL CONSUMPTION AT AN INCREASED POWER SETTING, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. TREES AT THE FORCED LANDING AREA WERE A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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