What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On January 13, 1996, at about 1947 central standard time (CST), a Piper PA-28-140, N98254, registered to j and d aircraft service, inc., of wahoo, Nebraska, was destroyed when the airplane struck powerlines during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The private pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries. The 14 CFR part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight originated from love field, dallas, Texas, at 1544 CST. A witness at associated air center, love field, dallas, Texas, reported the airplane arrived at the airport two days prior to the accident. She said the pilot purchased 42 gallons of fuel and told the line person that they made great time down from wahoo, Nebraska, due to the tailwind they encountered. The line supervisor said he attempted to park the airplane using universally recognized hand signals, but the pilot did not seem to understand these signals and parked the airplane differently than intended. There was no flight plan on file for the accident flight; however, the pilot did utilize VFR flight follow ing. While en route, the pilot did contact silerhawk aviation in crete, Nebraska, inquiring about fuel availability. The pilot later was heard over an aviation scanner at beatrice municipal airport, located in beatrice, Nebraska, on crete airport UNICOM frequency stating that he was low on fuel. A short time later the pilot reported over crete airport UNICOM frequency that he was out of fuel and intended to perform an off-field landing near sheldon power station, Hallam, Nebraska. A police officer interviewed the pilot's wife and stated that she said the pilot "...had left at three thirty p.m. on 011396, from dallas and that he would have to stop and refuel before arriving in lincoln... ." (.4) the airplane departed dallas, Texas at 1544 CST with a gross weight of 2,382.3 pounds. The maximum certified gross weight was 2,081 pounds. About 4 hours and 15 minutes after takeoff, the pilot transmitted on a UNICOM frequency that the airplane was low on fuel. A short time later, he reported that the airplane was out of fuel and he intended to perform an off-airport landing. During a night forced landing, the airplane contacted powerlines, then impacted the terrain. A total of 30 ounces of fuel was drained from the airplane fuel system after the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JANUARY 13, 1996, AT ABOUT 1947 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST), A PIPER PA-28-140, N98254, REGISTERED TO J AND D AIRCRAFT SERVICE, INC., OF WAHOO, NEBRASKA, WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE AIRPLANE STRUCK POWERLINES DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LOVE FIELD, DALLAS, TEXAS, AT 1544 CST. A WITNESS AT ASSOCIATED AIR CENTER, LOVE FIELD, DALLAS, TEXAS, REPORTED THE AIRPLANE ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. SHE SAID THE PILOT PURCHASED 42 GALLONS OF FUEL AND TOLD THE LINE PERSON THAT THEY MADE GREAT TIME DOWN FROM WAHOO, NEBRASKA, DUE TO THE TAILWIND THEY ENCOUNTERED. THE LINE SUPERVISOR SAID HE ATTEMPTED TO PARK THE AIRPLANE USING UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED HAND SIGNALS, BUT THE PILOT DID NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THESE SIGNALS AND PARKED THE AIRPLANE DIFFERENTLY THAN INTENDED. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE FOR THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT; HOWEVER, THE PILOT DID UTILIZE VFR FLIGHT FOLLOW ING. WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PILOT DID CONTACT SILERHAWK AVIATION IN CRETE, NEBRASKA, INQUIRING ABOUT FUEL AVAILABILITY. THE PILOT LATER WAS HEARD OVER AN AVIATION SCANNER AT BEATRICE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, LOCATED IN BEATRICE, NEBRASKA, ON CRETE AIRPORT UNICOM FREQUENCY STATING THAT HE WAS LOW ON FUEL. A SHORT TIME LATER THE PILOT REPORTED OVER CRETE AIRPORT UNICOM FREQUENCY THAT HE WAS OUT OF FUEL AND INTENDED TO PERFORM AN OFF-FIELD LANDING NEAR SHELDON POWER STATION, HALLAM, NEBRASKA. A POLICE OFFICER INTERVIEWED THE PILOT'S WIFE AND STATED THAT SHE SAID THE PILOT "...HAD LEFT AT THREE THIRTY P.M. ON 011396, FROM DALLAS AND THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO STOP AND REFUEL BEFORE ARRIVING IN LINCOLN... ." (.4) THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED DALLAS, TEXAS AT 1544 CST WITH A GROSS WEIGHT OF 2,382.3 POUNDS. THE MAXIMUM CERTIFIED GROSS WEIGHT WAS 2,081 POUNDS. ABOUT 4 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT TRANSMITTED ON A UNICOM FREQUENCY THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS LOW ON FUEL. A SHORT TIME LATER, HE REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS OUT OF FUEL AND HE INTENDED TO PERFORM AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. DURING A NIGHT FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED POWERLINES, THEN IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. A TOTAL OF 30 OUNCES OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE AIRPLANE FUEL SYSTEM AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.