19790223005849A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA31 · Claude, TX · February 23, 1979

Date
February 23, 1979 · 00:26 local
Place
Claude, TX
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N61517
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW79DA053
Reported as
Piper PA31
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
7,119 total7 in this make and model47 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot failed to check fuel quantity before takeoff because of heavy rain. Ran out of fuel entoute at night.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT FAILED TO CHECK FUEL QUANTITY BEFORE TAKEOFF BECAUSE OF HEAVY RAIN. RAN OUT OF FUEL ENTOUTE AT NIGHT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.