Aero Commander 685 accident near Middleton, Wisconsin, July 29, 1998
On July 29, 1998 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Aero Commander 685, registered N414C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Middleton, Wisconsin (Morey Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fuel starvation of the aircraft in addition to the improper aircraft preflight and premature gear extension by the pilot-in-command. The blocked fuel vent system is a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 1998 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Middleton, Wisconsin · Morey Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 685 · all 685s on the register
- Registration
- N414C · registry record · serial 12021
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the gear deployed sooner than expected and he realized that he was not going to make the runway and subsequently landed approximately 1000 ft short of runway 30. The piloted stated that there should have been 80 gallons of fuel remaining; the gauge indicated 80-85 gallons of fuel. A total of a 1/2 gallon of fuel from the fuel tanks. The fuel gauge indicated 55 gallons of fuel when the electrical master switch was turned 'ON'. There were fuel stains present on top of the wings. The Aero Commander 685 Flight Manual lists the usable fuel capacity with optional fuel tanks to be 322 gallons. A review of fuel records indicate that the airplane was fueled twice prior to departure. Fuelling records provided by the fixed base operator who had fuelled the aircraft show that the aircraft was refueled twice on July 15, 1998 to obtain 278.0 gallons and 13.5 gallons of fuel. The Aero Commander 685 Maintenance Manual provides a 'Indicator Error Envelope' for the fuel system which depicts the maximum allowable tolerance between the weight of fuel in the tanks and the fuel quantity gauge indication. The manual also states, 'The fuel vent outlet tube on the lower wing surface should be checked daily for evidence of foreign material'. The Aero Commander 685 Flight Manual also states that the left and right fuel vent should be checked during the preflight inspection.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 20,000 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,559 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 9,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RYN Tuscon AZ at 6:00 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30, 2,971 ft by 38 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 281° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:39 pm from MSN, 255 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI98LA283.