CEN11FA358

The pilot's inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, and his improper control inputs following the loss of engine power, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impaired judgment, which led to his failure to recognize the fuel shortage earlier and his improper decision to fly with disqualifying medical conditions.

A review of the pilot's logbooks revealed that he had flown two flights in the airplane several days before the accident flight for a total of 2.8 flight hours. The airplane was not refueled after those flights. About 1.4 hours after takeoff on the accident flight, the pilot reported that he was "running out of fuel," and the airplane subsequently started descending. A witness reported seeing the airplane at a low altitude and then suddenly turn and depart controlled flight, indicating than an aerodynamic stall had occurred. The airplane impacted terrain in the parking lot of an apartment complex in a congested urban area. Engine data monitor information for the accident flight showed that, for most of the flight, the airplane had an average fuel flow of about 14.7 gallons per hour. The airplane had a total useful fuel capacity of 62 gallons. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot improperly planned how much fuel he would need for the accident flight and that the airplane ran out of fuel, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot's medical records revealed a diagnosis of major depression, and toxicology testing found medications in the pilot's body consistent with the treatment of this condition. The pilot's depression had been documented and treated since 1989, but the treatment and medications were inadequately reported to the Federal Aviation Administration on the pilot's recent airman medical applications and would have disqualified him from obtaining an airman's medical certificate. The pilot's depression and the medications he was taking would have significantly degraded his cognitive abilities, including executive functioning and judgment, and likely led to his failure to recognize the fuel shortage earlier and his improper decision to fly with disqualifying medical conditions.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 28, 2011, at 2044 central daylight time, a Rockwell 112, single engine airplane, N1041J, impacted terrain during a forced landing at Bryan, Texas. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. No persons on the ground were injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to a private individual and was being operated by another private individual for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Dusk visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan had not been filed. The flight had originated from Fort Worth Spinks Airport (FWS), Fort Worth, Texas, about 1922 and was en route to Scholes International Airport (GLS), Galveston, Texas. A witness statement and fueling records show that the airplane was last refueled on May 25, 2011. Other records showed that the pilot made two flights of 1.4 hours each, totaling 2.8 hours, on May 26, 2011. Another witness reported the pilot may have made two other local flights on either May 26, or May 27, 2011, and records show the airplane was not refueled after any of those flights. On the day of the accident the airplane was in cruise flight about 9,500 feet mean sea level (msl) when the pilot advised the controller that he wanted to make a fuel stop at Easterwood Field Airport (CLL), College Station, Texas. The airplane then made a right turn of about 90 degrees and began descending toward CLL. Several minutes later the pilot reported that he was "running out of fuel". When the airplane was at 600 feet msl the pilot reported that he would not make the airport. A witness at an apartment complex reported seeing the airplane flying "extremely low" and parallel to the road when he saw it suddenly turn right and head toward the witness's location. The airplane struck terrain and an unoccupied automobile in the parking lot of the apartment complex and came to rest upright; 47 feet from the initial impact point. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The 57-year old pilot held a private pilot certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with ratings for airplane single engine land and instrument airplane. The pilot's flight review requirement was successfully completed on May 18, 2010. A third class medical certificate was issued by the FAA on July 1, 2010. As of May 26, 2011, the pilot had logged a total of 460.6 hours of flight experience, with 259.6 of those hours in the accident airplane make and model; 18.2 of those hours were in actual instrument conditions, an additional 49.9 of those hours were in simulated instrument conditions, and a total of 18.8 hours of night flight time. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The four-seat, low-wing, retractable gear airplane, serial number (s/n) 41, was manufactured in 1973. It was powered by a 200-hp Lycoming IO-360-C1D6 engine, serial number L-9193-51A, which drove a Hartzell 3-blade metal alloy controllable pitch propeller. The engine was equipped with a pilot controlled manual waste gate turbo-normalized system manufactured by RCM Normalizing Inc., installed under FAA Supplemental Type Certificate Number SE5203NM. The airplane had fuel tanks in each wing which had a total useful fuel capacity of 62 gallons. The aircraft maintenance logbooks were not available for examination. However, the pilot's aircraft usage spreadsheet, pilot's personal logbook, and several individual flight planning documents were found in the wreckage. The investigator-in-charge (IIC) reviewed those documents and estimated that the most recent annual inspection was completed on May 24, 2011, at a tach time of 2,937.18 hours, which is the IIC's estimate of the aircraft total time. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION The closest official weather observation station was CLL, located 2 nautical miles south of the accident site. The elevation of the weather observation station was 320 feet msl. At 2053, the automated weather observing system at CLL reported wind from 170 degrees at 13 knots, visibility of 10 miles, clear of clouds, temperature 29 degrees C, dew point 21 degrees C, with an altimeter setting of 29.71 inches of Mercury. Data from the U. S. Naval Observatory showed that moonset occurred at 1648, sunset occurred at 2021, and the end of civil twilight occurred at 2048. COMMUNICATIONS AND RADAR The airplane was in cruise flight about 9,500 feet mean sea level (msl) and the pilot was receiving flight following from the Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). At 2029, when the airplane was about 25 miles northeast from CLL, the pilot advised the ARTCC controller that he wanted to make a fuel stop at CLL. The ARTCC controller instructed the pilot to contact the tower controller at CLL. The airplane then made a right turn of about 90 degrees and began descending toward CLL. At 2035:30 the airplane was at 7,000 feet msl and about 11 miles from CLL when the pilot made his initial radio contact with the tower controller at CLL and he reported that he had to make a "fuel stop". At 2036:40 the pilot advised the controller that he was "running out of fuel". At 2037 the controller advised the aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) unit of an Alert 2. At 2040:32 the airplane was at 3,000 feet msl and about 4 and 1/2 miles from CLL when the pilot reported that he had the airport in sight and would be landing on runway 16. At 2043:40 the airplane was at 600 feet msl when the pilot reported that he would not make the airport. There were no further communications from the pilot and last radar return was at 2043:46. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The airplane wreckage was located in the parking lot of a large apartment complex about 2 miles north of CLL. The area from the northwest through the southwest for a distance of over three miles was a congested urban area. The initial impact crater was about 47 feet from the main wreckage final resting location. Debris and ground scars led from the crater on a direction of 235 degrees to the main wreckage which came to rest about 45 feet from the nearest building of the apartment complex. The nose of the airplane's upright fuselage was oriented to 358 degrees. Aircraft debris and all portions of the airplane were found at the scene within a radius of about 100 feet from the final resting location. There was impact damage to the leading edges of both wings and to the engine and forward fuselage. Both wings exhibited aft accordion crushing along their leading edges with corresponding impact scars on the ground. The right wing was bent up and aft at mid-span. Both wings remained attached to the fuselage and no hydraulic deformation was observed to either wing. No fuel was detected in the fuel tank in either wing. The left and right wing flaps remained attached. Both ailerons remained attached or partially attached. The left and right main landing gear were impact damaged, but observed to be retracted and still in the gear wells. The nose gear was impact damaged and was protruding slightly out of the nose gear well. The rear empennage remained attached to the fuselage and was bent slightly over the top portion of the fuselage in scorpion tail fashion. The elevator trim tab was observed in the neutral position. The elevator and rudder remained attached with no significant damage noted. The engine remained attached to the fuselage and the propeller remained attached to the engine. The bottom of the engine cowling displayed impact and crushing damage and the engine mount was bent slightly up. The upper engine cowling was detached and found with other debris near the main wreckage. The gascolator was examined and had a small amount of clean aviation gasoline. The fuel screen was clear. The flow divider was opened and examined and no fuel was seen. The three-blade propeller displayed impact damage on the forward face of one blade which was bent aft about 90 degrees at mid-span. The other