Aero Commander 112 N1222J

Summary

On 14 August 2004 at about 21:20 local time, a Aero Commander 112 registered N1222J was involved in an accident near Jackson, Ohio, 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.

Date

14 August 2004 at 21:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Jackson, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

James A Rhodes Airport (I43)

Coordinates

38.9672, -82.5778

Aircraft

Aero Commander 112

Registration

N1222J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jackson → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD04LA037

1 person had minor injuries.

the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons over unsuitable terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot took off with an unknown quantity of fuel. The engine lost power, and the pilot maneuvered for a forced landing to a field. During the approach, the engine stopped producing power, and the airplane touched down, struck trees, and separated the right wing before coming to rest. There was little evidence of fuel and no odor of fuel at the scene. An annual inspection had been completed 6 months prior, but the airplane had flown less than 1 hour since the inspection. The fuel capacity of the airplane was 68 gallons, and the owner said he serviced the airplane with 56 gallons of fuel between the time of the annual inspection and the accident flight. The pilot said that while he did not determine the exact amount of fuel on board, the left tank contained fuel and the fuel gauge indicated one-quarter tank. The right tank gauge indicated full. The pilot said he found this unusual because the right tank was "up", but not full. According to the before-takeoff checklist in the Pilot's Operating Handbook, the pilot is directed to place the fuel selector on the "RIGHT or LEFT (fullest)" tank prior to takeoff. When asked, the pilot said the fuel selector was placed in the right tank position. After the accident, the engine started and ran on the airframe. According to the pilot, "I didn't bring my stick with me. The only way to tell [fuel level] is to stick it, and unfortunately, I didn't stick the tanks."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.