Texico, NM, USA
N3214P
Piper PA24
The pilot reported that, the day before the accident flight, he had fully refueled the airplane’s fuel tanks (60 gallons of fuel), conducted a run-up of the engine, and conducted a local flight around the pattern to troubleshoot an electrical issue that was later resolved. The pilot reported that, on the day of the accident, during the preflight inspection for the cross-country flight, the airplane was only "two gallons shy of full." About 2.5 hours into the flight, after switching the fuel tanks multiple times en route, he switched to the left main fuel tank to prepare for landing. He added that, about 4 miles south of the destination airport, the engine lost power, the airplane was "too low," and he set up to land on a nearby road. The airplane landed with the gear retracted and struck multiple signs before coming to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, fuselage, and empennage. During a postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, both fuel tanks were found empty, and no evidence of fuel leakage was found at the accident site. During a telephone conversation, the pilot reported that the total flight time the day of the accident was about 3.1 hours and that he was not aware of any preaccident mechanical failures. He estimated that the fuel burn was about 14 gallons per hour and that, during the accident flight, there was about a 17-knot headwind. The Pilot’s Operating Handbook for the airplane stated that, while at 75% power, the airplane has about 3.7 hours of fuel endurance. Given the evidence, it is likely that the pilot did not ensure that there was adequate fuel onboard for the accident flight, which led to fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.
The pilot reported that, the day before the accident flight, he had refueled the airplane to full tanks (60 gallons of fuel), did a runup of the engine, and a local flight around the pattern to trouble shoot an electrical issue, which was later resolved. The day of the accident, during the prefight for the cross country flight, the airplane was only "two gallons shy of full" during his visual inspection. About 2.5 hours into the flight after switching fuel tanks multiple times en route, he switched to the left main fuel tank to prepare for landing. He added that about 4 miles south of the destination airport the engine lost power, the airplane was "too low", and he set up to land on a nearby road. The airplane landed with the gear retracted and struck multiple signs before coming to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, fuselage, and empennage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that, the pilot stated that the airplane flew approximately one hour on the left tank, and then switched to the right tank. The pilot then flew approximately 1.5 hours on the right tank, then felt some buffeting (engine sputter) and turned the boost pump on and switched back to the left tank. The pilot reported that this occurred about 23 miles southeast of the destination airport. During a telephone conversation with the NTSB IIC, the pilot reported that the total flight time the day of the accident was about 3.1 hours, and that there were no preaccident mechanical failures that he knew of. He added that he estimated the fuel burn at about 14 gallons an hour, and estimated that during the accident flight there was about a 17 knot head wind. The pilot operating handbook for the airplane states under the endurance/range of the 56 gallon tank airplane, that while at 75% power the airplane has about 3.7 hours of fuel. During a post-accident examination by the FAA inspector, both fuel tanks were empty with no usable fuel onboard and no fuel leak indications at the accident site.
The pilot's improper preflight fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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