Friday, October 19, 2012

Cirrus SR20, N499SF: Accident occurred October 15, 2012 in Parker, Arizona

NTSB Identification: WPR13LA011
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 15, 2012 in Parker, AZ
Probable Cause Approval Date: 01/13/2014
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR20, registration: N499SF
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

Before the first flight of the day, the pilot visually checked the airplane’s fuel quantity through the fuel tank filler necks, observing what he believed to be full tanks. He subsequently checked the fuel gauges, which indicated that both wing tanks were less than half full. Surmising that the gauges were faulty, the pilot departed on a short flight to a local airport to pick up a passenger. After picking up the passenger, they departed for a cross-country flight. He did not refuel the airplane before that departure, and after travelling for about 90 minutes the engine lost total power. The pilot made a forced landing in mountainous terrain.

Subsequent examination of the airframe revealed that both fuel tanks were empty, and neither the engine nor airframe exhibited indications of a fuel leak. Examination of recorded data recovered from the airplane's flight displays revealed that its fuel consumption was appropriate for the flight profile. The data further revealed that the airplane was approaching an airport as one of the tanks ran out of fuel. The engine lost power; however, rather than landing, the pilot continued the flight after switching to the other fuel tank. The other tank ran out of fuel a short time later, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a rocky outcropping, where the airplane sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The pilot's failure to perform an adequate preflight inspection, which resulted in inadequate fuel for the flight and the subsequent fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to land the airplane at the first indication of low fuel.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 15, 2012, at 1131 mountain standard time, a Cirrus Design Corp SR20, N499SF, landed hard during a forced landing in mountainous desert terrain near Suquilla Airport, Parker, Arizona. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage and both wings during the accident sequence. The cross-country flight departed John Wayne-Orange County Airport, Santa Ana, California, at 0959, with a planned destination of Ernest A. Love Field Airport, Prescott, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot stated that the first leg of the flight was from Santa Monica Municipal Airport earlier that morning, and that prior to departure he visually established the fuel quantity through the filler necks, observing what he believed to be full tanks. He subsequently checked the fuel gauges, which indicated that the wing tanks were each under half full. He surmised that the gauges were faulty, basing this assumption on the fact that the gauges of an airplane he had previously owned were inaccurate. He subsequently departed for Santa Ana, where he picked up a passenger. Without refueling the airplane, the flight departed for Prescott.

The pilot stated that the airplane subsequently ran out of fuel as they approached the Parker very high frequency omnidirectional radio range transmitter (VOR), about 200 miles west of Santa Ana. He performed a forced landing into a rocky outcropping, about 13 miles northeast of Avi Suquilla Airport.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

Recovery personnel drained about 6 ounces of fuel from the fuel tanks during recovery of the airplane, and a subsequent examination of the airframe and engine by an FAA inspector did not reveal any fuel leaks.

The airplane was equipped with both an Avidyne Entegra Primary (PFD), and Multifunction (MFD) Flight Display, and two Garmin GNS 430 GPS/Navigation/Communication transceivers. The Avidyne units were capable of recording the airplane's GPS position, as well as engine and fuel flow parameters. The units were sent to the NTSB Office of Research and Engineering for data extraction. The data for both flights had been recorded.

The flight from Santa Monica to Santa Ana lasted about 23 minutes, and included an initial climb from about sea level to 3,500 feet pressure altitude.

Following departure from Santa Ana, the airplane initiated a climb to 7,500 feet, while on an east-northeast track. Twelve minutes later, at 1011, the engine power reduced with its speed decreasing from 2,650 to 2,540 rpm, and fuel flow falling from just under 17 gallons per hour (gph) to about 10.5 gph.

At 1114:54, the fuel flow decreased from 10.6 to 1.5 gph, with a corresponding engine exhaust gas temperature (EGT) reduction of approximately 400 degrees F, and a drop in engine speed of 250 rpm. Over the course of the next 80 seconds, the parameters recovered, with the fuel flow rising to 16.6 gph before settling back to about 10 gph at 1117. Five minutes later, the EGT, fuel flow, and engine rpm values all began oscillating, and at 1123:30, the aircraft began a 1,000-feet-per-minute descent. For the remainder of the flight, the fuel flow dropped below 4 gph, and the EGT fell below the recording limit of 500 degrees F.

Fuel consumption computed by the MFD for the accident flight was 17.4 gallons, with the prior flight consumption computed as 5.5 gallons.

The airplane was equipped with two 28-gallon usable wet-wing fuel storage tanks, and a three-position selector valve, configured for the left tank, right tank, and OFF position.

The SR20 Pilot's Operating Handbook and FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual defined the range/endurance profile under the "Performance Data" section. The data revealed that at a gross weight of 3,000 pounds, standard temperature, with the engine producing 65 percent power, and the mixture set to "best power," fuel would be consumed at the rate of 10.5 gph at all altitudes up to 12,000 feet. Fuel used to climb from sea level to 4,000 feet and sea level to 8,000 feet, was 1.3 and 2.9 gallons, respectively.

GPS data revealed that about the time of the initial fuel flow drop, the airplane was about 17 miles west of Gene Wash Reservoir Airport, Parker Dam, California, and 15 miles northwest of Avi Suquilla Airport. The airplane continued on the same track, flying directly over Gene Wash Reservoir Airport, about 6 minutes later. Two minutes after overflying the airport, the engine parameters dropped, and the airplane began a descending right turn towards Avi Suquilla.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Gene Wash Reservoir was a private airport comprised of a single 2,200-foot-long, 30-foot-wide asphalt airstrip. Its presence was documented on the FAA Phoenix Sectional Aeronautical Chart.

The 77-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate, and reported a total flight experience of 2,480 hours, 50 of which were in the SR20.


REGAL AIR LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N499SF

NTSB Identification: WPR13LA011
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 15, 2012 in Parker, AZ
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR20, registration: N499SF
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On October 15, 2012, about 1000 mountain daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corp SR20, N499SF, landed hard during a forced landing in mountainous desert terrain near Parker, Arizona. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage and both wings during the accident sequence. The cross-country flight departed John Wayne-Orange County Airport, Santa Ana, California, about 0850, with a planned destination of Ernest A. Love Field Airport, Prescott, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot reported departing in the airplane from Santa Monica Municipal Airport, Santa Monica, California, on the morning of the accident. Prior to flight, he checked the fuel gauges, which indicated that the wing tanks were half full. He visually examined the fuel quantity through the filler necks, and observing fuel in the tanks, assumed the gauges were faulty. He subsequently departed for Santa Ana, where he picked up a passenger.

They departed for Prescott, and the pilot reported that the airplane subsequently ran out of fuel as they approached the Parker very high frequency omnidirectional radio range transmitter (VOR), where he performed a forced landing into a rocky outcropping. Recovery personnel drained about 6 ounces of fuel from the fuel tanks during recovery of the airplane. The Parker VOR is located about 200 miles from Santa Ana. 































































































































2005 CIRRUS SR20 N499SF 

Bids close August 1, 2014
                 
AIRCRAFT:   2005 Cirrus SR 20, Serial number 1540, registration number N499SF.

ENGINE – TCM Rebuilt engine model IO360ES16B, serial number 1000729.

PROPELLER – Hartzell HC-J3YF-1RF/F7392-1.

APPROXIMATE TOTAL HOURS (estimated TT & TSMO from logbooks or other information):

ENGINE:   Engine rebuilt 7/15/2009.  ENG TT:  1,713.8; TSMOH:  1,158.7

PROPELLER:    Hartzell HC-J3YF-1RF/F7392-1.  TT 515.7  

AIRFRAME:    A/C TSN:  1,713.8        

OTHER EQUIPMENT:    Avidyne Screens, Two Garmin GNS 430s, Garmin GTX 330, Stec 50x autopilot.

DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT:  Aircraft ran out of fuel and made an emergency landing in the desert.

DESCRIPTION OF DAMAGES:    There is substantial damage throughout the aircraft.  Many holes/punctures under the a/c and wings.  Prop bent and engine appears to be off the mounts.  Main gears are torn off the wings.  Nose gear is twisted and bent.  Wing is one piece and is destroyed.


Bid information and photos:  http://www.avclaims.com/N499SF.htm


IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 499SF        Make/Model: SR20      Description: SR-20
  Date: 10/15/2012     Time: 1730

  Event Type: Incident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Minor

LOCATION
  City: PARKER   State: AZ   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED OFF AIRPORT. PARKER, AZ

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   2     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Landing      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: SCOTTSDALE, AZ  (WP07)                Entry date: 10/16/2012 




The occupants of a plane flying from Santa Monica to Prescott are OK after the pilot had to ditch his plane in the desert near Parker.

The pilot flew his Cirrus 4-seat aircraft from Santa Monica, California to John Wayne Airport to pick up a passenger before heading out to Prescott, Arizona. While flying over the Colorado River area the plane ran out of fuel, and the pilot had to look for an area to make an emergency crash landing.

Buckskin Fire Chief Chris Chambers said he was lucky. “There are 150 feet of skid marks. He came off a knoll. The plane held up really well,” he said.

Another plane flying overhead saw the aircraft on the ground and picked up either an emergency beacon or radio, which was used to call help to the area. Native Air found the plane and stayed with it to guide Buckskin Fire Department to the area, which Chambers says took around 2 hours.

The Marine Corp. Search and Rescue from Yuma, Arizona also attended, and flew the occupants out to Castle Rock Shore. 


Story and comments:  http://www.parkerliveonline.com

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