Preceptor ULTRA PUP N5178D
22 December 2002 · Smithville, Tennessee, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 22 December 2002 at about 19:50 local time, a Preceptor ULTRA PUP registered N5178D, operated by Fredrick W. Whitaker, was involved in an accident near Smithville, Tennessee, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 19:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Smithville, Tennessee, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.9853, -85.8092
- Aircraft
- Preceptor ULTRA PUP
- Registration
- N5178D
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Fredrick W. Whitaker
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Evansville → Smithville
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL03LA026
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning of fuel resulted in fuel starvation, the total loss of engine power and the subsequent forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot, he had just purchased the airplane and was returning to his home base. Approximately 14 miles from the Smithville Municipal Airport, Smithville, Tennessee, the engine began to run rough. The pilot applied carburetor heat and the engine stopped. The pilot executed an emergency landing in a field. No fuel was found in the left or right wing tanks. Three gallons of fuel was drained from the header tank, and no blockages were observed. The pilot did not report any mechanical or flight control malfunctions prior to the accident. The pilot stated that he preflight planned for 2.5 hours, a fuel capacity of 12 gallons. The pilot had been flying for approximately 2 hours.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Aug 2002 | Cessna 182R | Lake City, Tennessee, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 28 Jun 2002 | Beechcraft 58 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Sep 2002 | Cessna 152 | Spring City, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 2002 | Beechcraft BE-55 | Jacksboro, Tennessee, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 19 Jun 2002 | Cessna 182Q | Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 May 2002 | Cessna 172 | Livingston, Tennessee, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |