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19961202036989A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-260 · Felton, PA · December 2, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 2, 1996 · 20:45 local
Place
Felton, PA
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N5538J
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC97FA025
Reported as
Piper PA32260
Reported engine
Lycoming O540E4B5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
490 total20 in this make and model37 in the last 90 days
N5538JRegistration cancelled Mar 22, 2000 · Piper PA-32-260S/N 32-1002Airframe modelPiper PA-32-260

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.

(.4)The pilot departed the round trip cross country flight with a total of 50 gallons of fuel. The first flight was 2 hours and 15 minutes. Prior to the return night flight, the pilot elected not to refuel the airplane. The airplane was one hour into the return flight, 70 nautical miles from the departure point, and 90 miles from the final destination, when the engine lost total power. The pilot then performed a forced landing, during which the airplane impacted trees. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of preimpact failures with the airplane. A few tablespoons of fuel was observed in the carburetor gascolator. Both main fuel tanks had ruptured and were absent of fuel. There was no evidence of a fuel spill in the vicinity of the wreckage. The last refueling facility was tested and found free from contamination. The fuel burn was calculated to be 14 gallons per hour allowing a total flight endurance of 3.5 hours with no reserve. The airplane was operated for 3.3 hours prior to losing total engine power.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)THE PILOT DEPARTED THE ROUND TRIP CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WITH A TOTAL OF 50 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE FIRST FLIGHT WAS 2 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES. PRIOR TO THE RETURN NIGHT FLIGHT, THE PILOT ELECTED NOT TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE WAS ONE HOUR INTO THE RETURN FLIGHT, 70 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE POINT, AND 90 MILES FROM THE FINAL DESTINATION, WHEN THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER. THE PILOT THEN PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING, DURING WHICH THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURES WITH THE AIRPLANE. A FEW TABLESPOONS OF FUEL WAS OBSERVED IN THE CARBURETOR GASCOLATOR. BOTH MAIN FUEL TANKS HAD RUPTURED AND WERE ABSENT OF FUEL. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A FUEL SPILL IN THE VICINITY OF THE WRECKAGE. THE LAST REFUELING FACILITY WAS TESTED AND FOUND FREE FROM CONTAMINATION. THE FUEL BURN WAS CALCULATED TO BE 14 GALLONS PER HOUR ALLOWING A TOTAL FLIGHT ENDURANCE OF 3.5 HOURS WITH NO RESERVE. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED FOR 3.3 HOURS PRIOR TO LOSING TOTAL ENGINE POWER.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB NYC97FA025Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportFelton, PAThe pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation, and his failure to refuel which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent collision with trees during the forced landing.Dec 3, 1996 · Destroyed