SANTA PAULA, CA, USA
N5388L
PIPER PA-28-180
THE PILOT WAS EN ROUTE BACK TO HIS ORIGIN AIRPORT ON A ROUND ROBIN CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT AS HE NEARED THE DESTINATION. HE TOLD RESPONDING POLICE OFFICERS THAT HE RAN OUT OF GAS AND HAD TO LAND IN THE RIVERBED. ONLY RESIDUAL FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS BY THE OFFICERS. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ORIGINALLY DID THE FLIGHT PLANING FOR THIS FLIGHT IN A CESSNA 172. HE STATED THAT HE HAD NEVER FLOWN THE PIPER PA28 BEFORE THIS FLIGHT. WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE OPERATOR'S FBO, HE WAS TOLD THAT THE CESSNA 172 WAS UNAVAILABLE AND HE WAS OFFERED THE PIPER INSTEAD. THE PILOT SAID HE 'SHOULD HAVE REPLANNED THE FLIGHT, BUT WAS IN A HURRY.' HE ASSUMED THAT THE PIPER AND THE CESSNA HAD SIMILAR FUEL CONSUMPTION RATES. THE PILOT SAID HE DID NOT REFUEL IN LAS VEGAS BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE HAD ENOUGH FOR THE RETURN TRIP.
On July 23, 1995, at 1920 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA28- 180, N5388L, collided with rocks during a forced landing attempt in a riverbed near Santa Paula, California. The forced landing was precipitated by a loss of power due to fuel exhaustion. The aircraft was operated by Camarillo Flight Center of Camarillo, California, and was rented by the pilot for a personal cross- country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated at North Las Vegas, Nevada, on the day of the accident at 1715 as the return portion of a round robin cross-country flight from Camarillo to Las Vegas and return. The pilot told responding Santa Paula Police officers that he ran out of gas and had to land in the riverbed. Only residual fuel was found in the aircraft fuel tanks by the responding officers. In a telephone interview, the pilot stated that he originally did the flight planing for this flight in a Cessna 172. He stated that he had never flown the Piper PA28 before this flight. When he arrived at the operator's FBO, he was told that the Cessna 172 was unavailable and he was offered the Piper instead. The pilot said he "should have replanned the flight, but was in a hurry." He assumed that the Piper and the Cessna had similar fuel consumption rates. The pilot said he did not refuel in Las Vegas because he thought he had enough for the return trip.
fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's failure to perform preflight fuel consumption calculations, and his failure to refuel the aircraft.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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