# Accident 19890520012409A: Piper PA31350, Arcata - Eureka, CA, May 20, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 20, 1989, 01:48 local time
- Place: Arcata - Eureka, CA
- Airport: Arcata Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced Landing
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: CNWA
- Location: 40.8510° N, 124.0508° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.8510&lon=-124.0508&mi=10
- Aircraft: N35479, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N35479-1992-02-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31350
- Reported engine: LYC TIO540J2BD
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,288 total, 66 in this make and model, 189 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX89LA199](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX89LA199) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890520012409A

## Narrative

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

BOTH ENGINES QUIT ON AN ILS APPROACH NO RESTART. BROKE OUT, LANDED IN A FIELD. AUX TANKS EMPTY. FUEL IN MAINS.

## 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 LAX89LA199](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX89LA199), May 20, 1989: Piper PA-31-350 (N35479), Arcata, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: THE PILOTS INACCURATE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS AND IMPROPER FUEL TANK SELECTOR POSITION. THESE RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION TO BOTH ENGINES WHEN THE AUX TANKS RAN DRY AND THE MAINS HAD FUEL…

## Other reports on N35479 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19840120055209I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19840120055209I), Jan 20, 1984: Piper PA31350 (N35479), Redding, CA, Substantial damage. Turned heater on while taxiing. Smoke permeated cockpit. Evacuation. Tube assembly of janitrol heater cracked.

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.

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