# Accident 19980601011589A: Piper PA30, Floyd, VA, June 1, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 1, 1998, 16:32 local time
- Place: Floyd, VA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.9090° N, 80.3098° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.9090&lon=-80.3098&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7794Y, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7794Y-2017-07-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-30 (registry code 7103002, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-320 series (registry code 41509, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA30
- Reported engine: LYC IO320C1A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 801 total, 6 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD98LA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA065) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980601011589A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 IAD98LA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA065), Jun 1, 1998: Piper PA-30 (N7794Y), Floyd, VA, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot's improper selection of fuel tank position resulting in fuel starvation of both engines.

## Other reports on N7794Y (1)

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

- [Incident 19840913065319I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19840913065319I), Sep 13, 1984: Piper PA30 (N7794Y), Memphis, TN, Minor damage. Forgot to extend gear for landing.

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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