Yakovlev YAK-3UA N33UA

Summary

On 1 August 1996 at about 21:10 local time, a Yakovlev YAK-3UA registered N33UA was involved in an accident near Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, 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

1 August 1996 at 21:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States

Coordinates

43.7708, -88.4399

Aircraft

Yakovlev YAK-3UA

Registration

N33UA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tulsa → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI96LA267

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's inaccurate fuel consumption calculations, and his inadequate in-flight planning and decision making. The pilot's failure to declare an emergency fuel condition (inadequate communication) was a related factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he originally planned a direct flight at 11,500 feet, but had to descend to 1,500 feet to avoid weather for 10 to 15 minutes, then he climbed back to 11,500 feet. He said this accounted for his arrival in the vicinity of the destination airport with a low fuel level. When he contacted the control tower at the destination airport, he declared 'minimum fuel' but did not declare an emergency. There were approximately 20 other airplanes on the frequency. The pilot was cleared straight-in to the landing runway; however, the engine lost power, and the airplane was landed about three-quarters of a mile short of the intended runway. The pilot said that in order to avoid other aircraft during the approach, he slowed his airplane by lowering the flaps, which he said prevented him from reaching the runway. During a subsequent postaccident examination of the airplane, no mechanical anomaly was found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.