# Accident 19960314004229A: Piper PA38112, St Paul, MN, March 14, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 14, 1996, 20:30 local time
- Place: St Paul, MN
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.9492° N, 93.0906° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.9492&lon=-93.0906&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2503B, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2503B-1996-07-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-38-112 (registry code 7103812, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-38-112) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA38112
- Reported engine: LYC O235L2C
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 343 total, 100 in this make and model, 8 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI96LA107](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96LA107) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960314004229A

## Narrative

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

LOST POWER EN ROUTE ROUND ROBIN. MADE SEVERAL STOPS. LANDED ON CITY HIGHWAY. FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY. STRUCK OBJECTS. (-23) ON 03/14/96 AT 2030 CST PIPER PA-28-112, N2503B, PILOTED BY OWNER, MICHAEL D. SWAN, PRIVATE PILOT #471251199, MADE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING ON STATE HIGHWAY 36 IN ST. PAUL, MN. THE FLIGHT WAS VFR ORIGINATING FROM LAKE ELMO, MN AT 1630 CST, DIRECT NORTH TO DULUTH, MN AREA WITH A LANDING AT HAYWARD, WI. 2 HRS 10 MIN FLIGHT TIME ON LEFT FUEL TANK. SWITCHED FUEL TANKS ON APPROACH TO HAYWARD. AT ANOKA CITY, MN. HE PERFORMED AIRWORK AND DEPARTED FOR LAKE ELMO, MN. ENGINE SPUTTERED, SWITCHED TO LEFT FUEL TANK, ONLY 500 FEET AGL. PREPARED FOR EMERGENCY LANDING ON HIGHWAY 36. DAMAGE TO LEFT WING SPAR, LEFT FLAP, RIGHT LANDING GEAR, PROPELLER AND RIGHT DOOR POST. FIELD INVEST. COULD DRAIN APP. 4 CUPS FUEL FROM COMPLETE FUEL SYSTEM. FUEL SYSTEM COMPLETE AND FUEL STRAINER WAS CLEAN. 1 PAX, NO FIRE, NO INJURIES.

## 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 CHI96LA107](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96LA107), Mar 15, 1996: Piper PA-38-112 (N2503B), St. Paul, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to assure an adequate fuel supply for the flight which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A factor associated with the accident was the signs contacted by the airplane during the forced…

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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