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19980601011589A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-30 · Floyd, VA · June 1, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 1, 1998 · 16:32 local
Place
Floyd, VA
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N7794Y
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD98LA065
Reported as
Piper PA30
Reported engine
Lycoming IO320C1A
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
801 total6 in the last 90 days
N7794YRegistration cancelled Jul 20, 2017 · Piper PA-30S/N 30-877 · Built 1965Airframe modelPiper PA-30Engine modelLycoming IO-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

Advised ATC trouble with an engine. Crashed 30 mi short of roa. Main fuel empty. Fuel sectors on mains. (.4) in cruise flight at 10,500 feet, the pilot reported a loss of engine power on one engine and requested vectors to an airport approximately 40 miles away. The controller offered vectors to any of three airports closer to the airplane's position. The pilot declined the offer and repeated his initial request. The airplane subsequently lost power in both engines and crashed approximately 30 miles prior to the requested airport. Examination revealed an undetermined amount of fuel in both outboard auxiliary fuel tanks. Both inboard main fuel tanks contained no evidence of fuel. The cockpit area revealed each fuel selector was in the 'main' position. The two main tanks held a total of 60 gallons, of which 6 gallons were unusable. Performance charts for the airplane revealed that in cruise flight at 10,500 feet, the airplane consumed approximately 15 gallons of fuel per hour. Examination of the airplane's rental and fueling records revealed the it had flown approximately 4 hours since the last fuel service and had completed at least 5 takeoffs and landings. Examination of the airplane's rental and fueling records revealed the it had flown approximately 4 hours since the last fuel service and had completed at least 5 takeoffs and landings. Examination of the fuel system revealed no defects and both engines ran to rated power in a test cell.

As the FAA filed it

ADVISED ATC TROUBLE WITH AN ENGINE. CRASHED 30 MI SHORT OF ROA. MAIN FUEL EMPTY. FUEL SECTORS ON MAINS. (.4) IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 10,500 FEET, THE PILOT REPORTED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER ON ONE ENGINE AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO AN AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES AWAY. THE CONTROLLER OFFERED VECTORS TO ANY OF THREE AIRPORTS CLOSER TO THE AIRPLANE'S POSITION. THE PILOT DECLINED THE OFFER AND REPEATED HIS INITIAL REQUEST. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY LOST POWER IN BOTH ENGINES AND CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES PRIOR TO THE REQUESTED AIRPORT. EXAMINATION REVEALED AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FUEL IN BOTH OUTBOARD AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS. BOTH INBOARD MAIN FUEL TANKS CONTAINED NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL. THE COCKPIT AREA REVEALED EACH FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE 'MAIN' POSITION. THE TWO MAIN TANKS HELD A TOTAL OF 60 GALLONS, OF WHICH 6 GALLONS WERE UNUSABLE. PERFORMANCE CHARTS FOR THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 10,500 FEET, THE AIRPLANE CONSUMED APPROXIMATELY 15 GALLONS OF FUEL PER HOUR. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S RENTAL AND FUELING RECORDS REVEALED THE IT HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS SINCE THE LAST FUEL SERVICE AND HAD COMPLETED AT LEAST 5 TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S RENTAL AND FUELING RECORDS REVEALED THE IT HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS SINCE THE LAST FUEL SERVICE AND HAD COMPLETED AT LEAST 5 TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED NO DEFECTS AND BOTH ENGINES RAN TO RATED POWER IN A TEST CELL.

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 IAD98LA065Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFloyd, VAThe pilot's improper selection of fuel tank position resulting in fuel starvation of both engines.Jun 1, 1998 · Destroyed

Other reports on N7794Y · 1

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

Incident 19840913065319ILevel Off Touchdown · Memphis, TNForgot to extend gear for landing.Sep 13, 1984 · Minor damage