Event IAD96FA147

Factual narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 16, 1996, approximately 2200 eastern daylight time, a Shorts SC7, N10DA, was destroyed during a forced landing and collision with terrain while on an instrument approach to the Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The certificated airline transport pilot was uninjured. The airplane was operated by North Star Air Cargo, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a instrument flight plan was filed for the cargo flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 135. The pilot flew this route for nearly 4 years in make and model airplane and stated that he calculated 900 pounds as the required fuel for the flight. During his preflight inspection, the pilot saw 956 pounds indicated on the fuel totalizer. Using a call sign of "SNC 1215", the pilot was given his clearance to his destination and told that there were weather delays all day, ranging from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours. SNC 1215 originated from Benedum Airport in Clarksburg, West Virginia, approximately 20:35. Once airborne, the pilot was issued holding instructions with an Expected Further Clearance (EFC) of 2125. Times with associated information from the recorded transcript between SNC1215 and the controllers was summarized below: 2123 - SNC was issued a revised EFC of 21:45. 2127 - SNC was vectored for runway 10R ILS and told to expect a 35 mile final. 2148 - SNC declared fuel critical. The controller vectored several airplanes off the ILS to accommodate SNC 1215. 2155 - SNC was cleared for the ILS Runway 10R approach. 2159 - SNC was asked for his fuel status and the pilot replied "pretty low, seems like I'm losing oil pressure". The controller advised him that his position was 7 miles from the runway and the pilot advised the controller that he had shutdown the right engine. 2159 - SNC was cleared to land on runway 10R 2200 - SNC declared an emergency, and advised the controller he was losing fuel. 2200 - SNC advised the controller he was not going to make it to the airport. The airplane struck power lines and telephone poles, and came to rest across a narrow secondary road. No fire ensued. The accident occurred during night hours, at an approximate location of 40 degrees, 29 minutes north latitude, and 80 degrees, 19 minutes west longitude. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane's fuel system consisted of two tanks, capable of carrying a total of 672 US gallons or approximately 4368 pounds of fuel. The airplane's maximum design take-off weight was 12,500 pounds. The weight and balance load manifest completed by the pilot for this flight indicated that the gross takeoff weight was 11,275 pounds. The cargo load weight for this flight was 1876 pounds and the total fuel weight in both tanks was 959 pounds, or approximately 130 US gallons. No discrepancies on the fuel system were recorded in the maintenance logbooks. A North Star Air Cargo, Inc. flight log dated September 13, 1996, was reviewed. The log depicted a flight from Clarksburg to Pittsburgh that was completed in 0.8 hours. It also depicted an average fuel flow for both engines at a cruise altitude of 8,000 feet, to be 290 pounds an hour per engine, or a total of 580 pounds per hour. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The landing gear and both wings outboard of each engine were separated from the fuselage. The forward and aft fuel tanks maintained their integrity throughout the accident sequence. The fuel caps were secure and still in place. No fuel streaking was found near fuel drain areas located along the sides of the fuselage, nor on top of the fuselage where the fuel caps were located. Both fuel tanks were drained into separate containers. The total amount of fuel drained from both tanks was 1.5 gallons, which according to the operating handbook was unusable fuel. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The wreckage was released to the insurance representative for the company on September 17, 1996. The pilot had flown this route in make and model airplane for nearly 4 years. He calculated 900 pounds of fuel were required for the flight, and saw 956 pounds on the fuel totalizer. The pilot was told by the ground controller of weather delays to his destination that ranged up to 2.5 hours. En route he was issued holding instructions with an EFC of 50 minutes later. After released from holding, 52 minutes after takeoff, the pilot was told that he was being vectored for a 35 mile final approach. The pilot then told the controller that he was fuel critical and the controller vectored him ahead of other airplanes. Ten minutes later, 84 minutes after takeoff, the controller asked his fuel status, and the pilot responded 'pretty low, seems like I'm losing oil pressure.' The pilot then advised the controller, 85 minutes after takeoff, that he shut down the right engine. He then declared an emergency and advised that he was not going to make the airport. Examination of the wreckage revealed the fuel tanks were intact, the fuel caps were secured, and the amount of fuel recovered from both tanks was 1.5 gallons, which was less than the specified unusable quantity. Company records showed that similar flights took about 48 minutes, and the airplane's average fuel flow was 580 pounds per hour. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12