Bellanca 8-KCAB N53835

Summary

On 26 November 1995 at about 18:30 local time, a Bellanca 8-KCAB registered N53835 was involved in an accident near Sheffield, Massachusetts, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 November 1995 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Sheffield, Massachusetts, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bellanca 8-KCAB

Registration

N53835

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chicopee → Barrington

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC96LA029

2 people were seriously injured.

the pilot's inadequate preflight and improper inflight planning/decision, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power, due to an inadequate supply of fuel.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot/owner and her husband, also a pilot, departed on a cross-country flight. The pilot did not check the airplane's fuel tanks, but estimated that the tanks were half full. After takeoff, at 6,500 feet, the pilot observed the fuel gauge to read empty and decided to make a precautionary landing before the engine lost power. Before the landing could be made, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing to an open field, but the airplane collided with trees. Examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact failures of the airframe or engine, and no fuel was detected in any of the airplane's fuel tanks, or on the ground. Four days before the accident, the pilots were at another airport, and had made a request for the fixed base operator to change the oil and refuel the airplane. The airplane was not refueled, and the invoice for the services did not include fuel. The airplane was then flown on four separate flights, without either of the pilots checking the airplane's fuel quantity. The airplane was flown a total of 4.1 hours, the estimated fuel duration was 3.6 hours.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.