# Accident 19980221001649A: Piper PA25235, Perry Foley, FL, February 21, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 21, 1998, 17:55 local time
- Place: Perry Foley, FL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.1699° N, 83.6107° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.1699&lon=-83.6107&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8648L (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA25235
- Reported engine: LYC O540B2B5
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,300 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL98LA050](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA050) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980221001649A

## Narrative

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

ON FEBRUARY 21, 1998 AT 1755 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA 25-235, N8648L COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING CRUISE FLIGHT NEAR PERRY FOLEY, FLORIDA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE COMMERCIAL PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN BROWNFIELD, TEXAS, EXACT TIME UNKNOWN. ACCORDING TO BOTH FAA INSPECTOR AND THE PILOT, THE AIRPLANE HAD NO FUEL BUT SHOULD NOT HAVE RUN OUT OF FUEL. THEY STATED THE AIRPLANE SHOULD HAVE REACHED IT DESTINATION, HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA, WITH ADEQUATE FUEL RESERVES. DURING FURTHER EXAMINATION BY THE FAA INSPECTOR, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE ENGINE CONTAINED ADEQUATE OIL AND SHOWED NO SIGNS OF SEIZURE. ALSO THE FUEL TANK DID NOT RUPTURE AND CONTAINED ONLY RESIDUAL FUEL. IT WAS ALSO NOTED BY THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT THE CARBURETOR BOWL DRAIN PLUG WAS MISSING, AND THE FUEL LINE FROM THE FUEL TANK TO THE FIREWALL SHUTOFF VALVE WAS LOOSE AND LEAKING. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, THE AIRPLANE HAD RECENTLYUNDERGONE AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AFTER BEING IN EXTENDED STORAGE. (-23) ENGINE FAILED IN FLIGHT.  THE PILOT ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A DIRT ROAD.  THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES AND THE PILOT LOST CONTROL.  A DRAIN PLUG BECAME UNSECURED CAUSING A LOSS OF FUEL.

## 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 ATL98LA050](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA050), Feb 21, 1998: Piper PA-25-235 (N8648L), Perry Foley, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: a loose (or missing) carburetor drain plug and fuel line, due to an inadequate maintenance/annual inspection, which resulted in a fuel leak, fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a 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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