On March 14, 1990, a Beech C-23 (registration N6513Z) operated by Ronson Aviation, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Philadelphia, PA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Fuel exhaustion. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A pilot departed at night with about two hours of fuel, made a missed approach due to weather, declared a fuel emergency after 1 hour 46 minutes, and later experienced a power loss due to fuel exhaustion, resulting in an off-airport landing in a wooded area.
Incident Summary
A pilot flying at night with approximately two hours of fuel on board encountered a fuel emergency after 1 hour and 46 minutes of flight. The pilot had received a clearance en route and made a missed approach due to weather conditions. Following the missed approach, the pilot declared a fuel emergency and was vectored to an instrument landing system at a VFR airport. Approximately 20 minutes after the declaration, the aircraft experienced a power loss due to fuel exhaustion.
Flight Sequence
The pilot departed with an estimated two hours of fuel. En route, he obtained a clearance. Upon encountering weather, a missed approach was executed. After being airborne for 1 hour and 46 minutes, the pilot declared a fuel emergency. Air traffic control provided vectors to an ILS approach at a VFR airport. About 20 minutes later, the engine lost power as a result of fuel exhaustion. The pilot executed an off-airport landing in a wooded area approximately 4 miles from the intended airport.
Post-Crash Examination
Examination of the aircraft after the landing revealed that the fuel tanks were empty. No evidence of fuel was found on the ground at the accident site.