At about 1450 eastern time, a Rockwell Commander 112TC ditched into the Atlantic Ocean about 10 to 12 miles east of Stuart, Fla., apparently after running out of fuel. The two occupants were not injured. The pilot departed Daytona Beach for Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, where he added 10 gallons of fuel to get him back to Fort Pierce, Fla. He declared a fuel problem at 1446 and ditched the airplane four minutes later. The pilot said he did not measure the fuel aboard at any time, but had estimated it based on a visual inspection of the fuel level relative to the metal tabs. The owner of the airplane indicated the accident pilot had not properly calculated fuel consumption at the power and mixture settings he used.
July 03, Atlantic Ocean / Rockwell Commander 112TC
At about 1450 eastern time, a Rockwell Commander 112TC ditched into the Atlantic Ocean about 10 to 12 miles east of Stuart, Fla., apparently after running out of fuel. The two occupants were not injured. The pilot departed Daytona Beach for Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, where he added 10 gallons of fuel to get him back to Fort Pierce, Fla. He declared a fuel problem at 1446 and ditched the airplane four minutes later. The pilot said he did not measure the fuel aboard at any time, but had estimated it based on a visual inspection of the fuel level relative to the metal tabs. The owner of the airplane indicated the accident pilot had not properly calculated fuel consumption at the power and mixture...
Key Takeaways:
- A Rockwell Commander 112TC aircraft ditched into the Atlantic Ocean near Stuart, Florida, apparently after running out of fuel, with both occupants uninjured.
- The incident was attributed to the pilot's failure to properly measure fuel and accurately calculate consumption, relying instead on visual estimates and incorrect power/mixture settings.
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