Siai-Marchetti F.260 N260MT
30 September 1997 · Santa Rosa, New Mexico, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 30 September 1997 at about 21:30 local time, a Siai-Marchetti F.260 registered N260MT was involved in an accident near Santa Rosa, New Mexico, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Santa Rosa, New Mexico, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Siai-Marchetti F.260
- Registration
- N260MT
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Palm Springs → Santo Rosa
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW97LA371
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
improper planning/decision by the pilot, which led to fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. A related factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Approximately 20 minutes before reaching a planned fuel stop at Santa Rosa, NM, the engine lost power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a dirt road. During the descent, he 'attempted a restart w/opposite wing tank selected;' however, the engine did not start. The pilot reported that his 'last fuel check indicated 1/8 - 1/4 fuel in both wing tanks, wing tip tanks empty.' During the landing roll, the nose landing gear impacted a ditch separating its wheel. The aircraft continued across the dirt road, crossed another ditch, and nosed over. Examination of the aircraft's fuel system revealed that the fuel selector was in the left tip tank position. The main fuel tanks and the wing tip tanks were 'void of fuel,' and 'there were not any fuel stains on the aircraft or the ground.' Only residual fuel was found in the fuel line to the gascolator and in the gascolator, and the carburetor fuel bowl had approximately 0.5 ounce of fuel.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Siai-Marchetti F260 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jul 1994 | Siai-Marchetti F.260 | Dover, Oklahoma, United States | Air Strikes International Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 4 Sep 2009 | Siai-Marchetti F.260 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Semonian Gary A | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Aug 2011 | Siai Marchetti F.260 | Coalinga, California, United States | Attitude Aviation | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-18 | Clovis, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jan 1997 | Beechcraft 95-B55 | Mayhill, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 3 Feb 1997 | Aeronca 65-TC | Moriarty, New Mexico, United States | William A. Essenburg | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Feb 1997 | Piper PA-24-250 | Farmington, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 5 |
| 6 Oct 1997 | Aerostar S-60A | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Ronald E. Hensley | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 1997 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2B | Hobbs, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |