Cessna T188C N9603J
11 May 1999 · Stovepipe Wells, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 11 May 1999 at about 23:30 local time, a Cessna T188C registered N9603J, operated by Richard G. Snover, was involved in an accident near Stovepipe Wells, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously 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 23:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Stovepipe Wells, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 36.5993, -116.8299
- Aircraft
- Cessna T188C
- Registration
- N9603J
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Richard G. Snover
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Overton → Jean
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX99LA182
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
fuel exhaustion resulting from the pilot becoming lost and disoriented on a cross-country flight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot/mechanic who overhauled the accident airplane engine was to remove it from the airplane, located on a highway in a remote desert area, to correct some discrepancies, which had caused the owner's pilot to make a precautionary landing. The mechanic chose to fly the airplane to another state where his shop is located. En route to a fuel source he landed on a road for directions. Subsequently, he arrived at the fuel source and had less than a gallon remaining. His next planned fuel stop was about 75 miles away. In the pilot's written statement he said he remembered noticing the fuel gauges reading low as he was flying low over sand dunes. The engine lost power, he turned on the boost pump, and the engine regained power momentarily. The aircraft then collided with sand dunes in the Death Valley National Park. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane and he had run it out of fuel. The accident site is about 195 miles from the departure point on a heading about 90 degrees from the pilot's intended course line.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna T188C accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 May 1999 | Cessna T188C | Bruce, Mississippi, United States | Darren L. Collins | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jun 1999 | Cessna T188C | Panhandle, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 2000 | Cessna T188C | Rock Dell, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 1998 | Cessna T188C | Austin, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 2000 | Cessna T188C | Furman, South Carolina, United States | Stricks Air Care Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 1998 | Cessna T188C | Weslaco, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Dec 1999 | Rhea KR-2 | Moreno Valley, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Dec 1999 | Cessna 172A | Shoshone, California, United States | Charles R. Christman | No injuries | - |
| 9 Sep 1999 | Piper PA-22-150 | Strathmore, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Sep 1999 | Cessna 172N | San Jose, California, United States | Concord Flight Intl, Inc | No injuries | - |
| 30 Apr 1999 | Schweizer 269C-1 | Concord, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Sep 1999 | Robinson R-22 | Azusa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |