Flagstaff, AZ, USA
N7584P
Piper PA 24-250
The engine lost power during flight and the pilot force-landed the airplane in a field and collided with a fence. The pilot was intending to fly to an airport to purchase fuel. Prior to departure, the pilot assumed he had 20 gallons of fuel onboard. About 15 minutes into the flight, the engine lost power. Post accident examination of the fuel tanks revealed that there was no fuel present in the fuel tanks. In addition, there was no fuel staining or leakage evident.
On June 23, 2007, at 1320 mountain standard time, a Piper PA 24-250, N7584P, lost engine power during cruise flight and force landed about 25 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona. The pilot owned the airplane and was operating it under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot departed Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, Flagstaff, at 1300. According to the pilot, he was intending to fly to Holbrook Municipal Airport, Holbrook, Arizona, to purchase fuel. Approximately 20 minutes into the flight, the engine lost power. The pilot switched from the left main fuel tank to the right main fuel tank; however, the engine did not regain power. The pilot then force-landed the airplane and collided with a fence. The pilot reported in a written statement that he was intending to purchase fuel. He checked the fuel level in the right and left main tanks and noted that there was fuel present. He estimated approximately 20 gallons were onboard the airplane. Prior to takeoff, he checked the engine monitoring instrument and noted that he would have about 6 gallons remaining upon landing at Holbrook. After departure, the pilot elected to take a diversion to the south to fly over a landmark. Approximately 15 minutes into the flight, the engine lost power. After troubleshooting, the pilot began preparing for an off-field landing. He flew toward Interstate 40, which was 2-3 miles north of his position. After turning to the freeway, he began troubleshooting again. Once the airplane was within 1/4-mile of the interstate, the airframe began to buffet and the pilot pushed forward on the yoke. He noted the airspeed at 74 knots indicated and pulled aft on the yoke. The airplane was descending much more rapidly than normal and he tried to slow the descent by pulling aft on the yoke. He could not slow the descent of the airplane and it landed short of the freeway in a field and collided with a fence. During the landing, the landing gear broke free and the wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that the airplane's last refueling was on June 20, 2007. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office personnel responded to the accident site. The officer on-scene checked each of the fuel tanks using a flashlight. There was no visible fuel in any of the fuel tanks and there was no evidence of fuel staining or leakage. The smell of fuel was not evident. Recovery personnel reported that no fuel was recovered from the fuel tanks during the aircraft removal from the accident site.
The loss of engine power during cruise flight due to fuel exhaustion, as a result of the pilot's failure to refuel and inadequate preflight planning.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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