# Accident 19790223005849A: Piper PA31, Claude, TX, February 23, 1979

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 23, 1979, 00:26 local time
- Place: Claude, TX
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Location: 35.1074° N, 101.3629° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Claude, TX, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1074&lon=-101.3629&mi=10
- Aircraft: N61517, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N61517-2014-10-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 7,119 total, 7 in this make and model, 47 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW79DA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW79DA053) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790223005849A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW79DA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW79DA053), Feb 23, 1979: Piper PA-31 (N61517), Claude, TX, substantial damage

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.