ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 164911
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| Date: | Monday 24 March 2014 |
| Time: | 11:45 |
| Type: |  Cessna 172 Skyhawk |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N4214F |
| MSN: | 46114 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1958 |
| Engine model: | Continental O-300-A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Forge Road, Boiling Springs, South Middleton Township, PA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Pittsfield, MA (PSF) |
| Charlotte, NC | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
According to the pilot he had purchased the airplane and planned to fly it across the country "via the southern route." The aircraft seller informed the pilot that the battery held a limited charge, but asserted that the airplane could be flown if the pilot charged the battery and disengaged the master after takeoff. Prior to departure, a mechanic charged the battery for about an hour. The pilot had planned to depart, fly for about 4 hours and then begin to look for an airport to land and obtain fuel. Once he reached his cruising altitude the pilot disengaged the "master." After about 4 hours of flight and in nighttime conditions the pilot found an airport beacon, reengaged the "master" and attempted to activate the runway lights. After several unsuccessful attempts and with the cockpit lights beginning to dim the pilot elected to conserve battery power and find a new airport. About thirty minutes later the pilot found another airport beacon. The airplane "ran out of gas" over a residential area three miles from the pilot's final destination. The pilot made a turn to line the airplane up with a street; however, during the descent to land the airplane collided with tree tops and subsequently impacted the ground resulting in substantial damage to the engine firewall and both wings. The pilot reported the "electrical system failed in the last few minutes of flight" as the only mechanical failure.
Probable Cause: The pilot's decision to depart with a known mechanical malfunction and his improper fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and subsequent impact with terrain during an off-airport landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=4214F
Location
Images:
N94 airport - aircraft storage
Media:
Here is what is left of the plane that crash landed near the Carlisle airport last night. #cbs21news pic.twitter.com/TB8blzpFGJ
— William Seiders (@BseidersPhotog) March 25, 2014Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Mar-2014 04:40 | Geno | Added |
| 25-Mar-2014 15:49 | harro | Updated [Embed code] |
| 27-Dec-2014 03:44 | Geno | Updated [Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 29-Nov-2017 13:41 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 28-Jun-2020 13:55 | Anon. | Updated [Source, Embed code, Photo] |
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