DUNGANNON, VA, USA
N3484W
PIPER PA-32-260
THE VFR PLT DEPARTED TULSA, OK, ON A FLT TO BRISTOL, TN, WITH A FULL LOAD OF FUEL. NO EN ROUTE STOPS WERE MADE. IN THE AREA OF BRISTOL, THE PLT CTCD TRI-CITY APCH CTL & REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO THE TRI-CITY ARPT. HOWEVER, THE ACFT'S ALT WAS LOW & RADAR CTC WITH APCH CTL WAS NOT MADE. THE PLT BELIEVED HE WAS SW OF THE ARPT, BUT ATLANTA ARTCC NOTED THE ACFT WAS 40 MI NW OF TRI-CITY. THE PLT WAS ADZD OF HIS PSN, BUT HE CONTD ON AN EASTERLY HDG. THE PSGRS NOTED TURBC, SNW SHOWERS & REDUCED VIS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT ELECTED TO LND ON A STREET IN DUNGANNON, VA. SVRL WITNESSES NOTED AN INTERRUPTION OF ENG PWR BEFORE THE ACFT WAS LNDD. RPRTDLY, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN HARD, THEN BOUNCED & WENT TO THE LEFT OF THE STREET, HITTING THE PORCH OF A HOUSE. THOUGH AN INTERRUPTION OF ENG PWR WAS RPRTD, THE PROP BLADES HAD EVIDENCE OF ROTATIONAL DMG. THE FUEL SEL WAS FND PSND TO THE RGT OTBRD TANK; THE 2 RGT TANKS HAD ABT 1 QT OF FUEL REMAINING. CG OF THE ACFT WAS CALCULATED TO BE BEHIND THE AFT LIMIT.
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT BECOMING LOST/DISORIENTED, THE SUBSEQUENT LOW FUEL SUPPLY, AND THE AIRCRAFT'S EXCESSIVE AFT CENTER-OF-GRAVITY (CG).
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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