Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) F-35 DRAKEN N156XD

Summary

On 26 June 1998 at about 13:45 local time, a Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) F-35 DRAKEN registered N156XD was involved in an accident near Oceana, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 June 1998 at 13:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Oceana, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Nas Oceana (NTU)

Coordinates

36.8200, -76.0298

Aircraft

Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) F-35 DRAKEN

Registration

N156XD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Williamsburg → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD98LA073

Nobody was injured.

The pilot-in-command's inadequate fuel management which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. A related factor was the pilot's unfamiliarity with the fuel system.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting the second of two support flights for a U.S. Navy ship. On each flight, he made three passes. Following the last pass of the second flight, the pilot made a 5g pull-up. Once 'on top', he noted that the airplane's fuel quantity was rapidly going down. The pilot declared an emergency, and climbed the airplane to 35,000 feet, where the engine flamed out. He established a 300-knot glide, and was vectored to a naval air station. He stated that the airplane either reached, or was above three 'key' positions, and on airspeed. However, after the third key, he realized the airplane would not reach a runway, so he successfully ejected less than 50 feet above the ground. The airplane impacted a plowed field, and remained upright until it skidded to a stop. There was no post-impact fire, and there was no evidence of fuel leakage, nor of the failure of any airframe component. The second flight was about 15 minutes longer than the first. With the airplane's capacitance fuel indicating system; high speed flight fuel quantity indications could be inaccurate. The 2,700-hour pilot had 43 hours of flight time in make and model.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.