Swearingen SA-26AT accident near Winchester, VA
On March 18, 1994, a Swearingen SA-26AT (airplane) was involved in an accident near Winchester, VA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 18, 1994
- Place
- Winchester, VA
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA-26AT · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.139°N, 78.281°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X00972
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 18, 1994, at 0050 eastern standard time, a Swearingen SA-26AT, Merlin IIB, N20PT, experienced a partial power loss and collided with the ground while attempting to land at the Winchester Regional Airport (W16), Winchester, Virginia. The pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the positioning flight which was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. There was no record of the airplane receiving any services prior to departure. The flight departed from Dulles International Airport (IAD), at 0029. The pilot requested and received visual flight rules advisories from Dulles Approach Control until he reported Winchester Regional Airport in sight at 0036, and was cleared to leave the frequency. A pilot waiting in the pilot lounge of the Winchester Airport, reported he heard the pilot of N20PT, call on UNICOM frequency, that he was turning final for runway 32. He said he heard no other transmissions from the pilot. A witness, reported she heard a "whoosh" followed by a "thump" and looked out her window and saw the airplane in the yard. She said she did not remember smelling fuel when at the accident site. A person at the accident site said he, "did not detect a strong odor of fuel." The accident occurred during the hours of darkness at location 39 degrees, 08 minutes North and 78 degrees, 08 minutes West. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with limitations for airplanes single and multi-engine land, and instr
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S DECISION TO OPERATE THE AIRPLANE WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES IN THE FUEL QUANTITY MEASURING SYSTEM WHICH RESULTED IN A POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION, FOLLOWED BY IMPROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURES WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL INFLIGHT AND UNCONTROLLED CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. FACTORS WERE THE LACK OF A REQUIREMENT FOR PERIODIC CALIBRATION OF THE FUEL QUANTITY MEASURING SYSTEM FROM TH
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Browse: Virginia · Swearingen aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
