Aero Commander 500-B N553RA

Summary

On 20 March 2003 at about 10:40 local time, a Aero Commander 500-B registered N553RA was involved in an accident near Mankato, Minnesota, 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

20 March 2003 at 10:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Mankato, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

Mankato Regional Airport (MKT)

Coordinates

44.2214, -93.9186

Aircraft

Aero Commander 500-B

Registration

N553RA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Des Moines → St. Paul

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CHI03LA087

Nobody was injured.

Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight and not verifying the airplane had been refueled.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane sustained substantial damage when it experienced a loss of power to both engines and executed a forced landing at night to a dirt road about 4 miles south of the airport. The Part 135 cargo flight could not depart to its scheduled destination due to weather, so it departed on a Part 91 positioning flight to another destination. While en route, the pilot notified ATC that the airplane's fuel gauges were indicating low fuel. The pilot attempted a VOR instrument approach to a nearby airport, but was unsuccessful. ATC issued the pilot radar vectors and a clearance for the ILS approach to another airport. While flying the approach, both engines lost power and the pilot executed a forced landing. The pilot reported that he requested the local fixed base operator to fuel the airplane. The pilot did not observe the airplane being refueled, nor did he receive a fuel receipt. He reported that when he preflighted the airplane, he checked the fuel tanks by feeling for fuel with his fingers. He could not feel any fuel with his finger. He checked the fuel gauges and reported that the fuel gauges read FULL. He reported that the fuel gauges would read FULL when there might be only 120 gallons of fuel, even though the fuel tanks held 156 gallons. An inspection of the fuel tanks at the accident site revealed that the wing tanks were empty, and the fuselage tank had 5 quarts of fuel. An inspection of the airplane revealed no fuel leaks. The company's Operations Manual, "Aircraft Refueling Procedures," stated: "No company aircraft will be fueled unless a pilot or other company employee, experienced in aircraft fueling, is present.…..The pilot shall determine the quantity of fuel to be added to the aircraft and that the aircraft is properly grounded."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.