What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) The airplane lost engine power while in cruise flight due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot stated that he encountered unforecasted headwinds that added 30 minutes to the planned flight time resulting in a total flight time of 4 hours. He observed the fuel gauges reading lower than he expected, butthought the airplane had enough fuel to make it to the west Texas airport, el paso, Texas, where he planned to refuel the airplane. Subsequently, the right tank ran out of fuel. Fifteen minutes later, when the left fuel tank was selected, the engine lost power. A forced landing was executed to rough and uneven terrain, 7 miles southeast of the west Texas airport, el paso, Texas. An FAA inspector examined the site and found no evidence of fuel at the site. He stated that the left fuel tank was empty and the right tank contained 1/4 inches of fuel. (-23) on October 3, 1998, at 12:07 MDT, a Piper PA-28-180, N8194W, registered to william paul and john david hedges, crashed in the desert approximately 7 miles east of west Texas airport, el paso, TX, when the aircraft ran out of fuel during cruise flight. Visual meteroological conditions prevaile d and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the certificated airline transport pilot sustained severe facial injuries. One passenger, an adult, sustained minor injuries, two others, both children, were uninjured. The flight had originated about three hours earlier in san antonio, TX.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) THE AIRPLANE LOST ENGINE POWER WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED UNFORECASTED HEADWINDS THAT ADDED 30 MINUTES TO THE PLANNED FLIGHT TIME RESULTING IN A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF 4 HOURS. HE OBSERVED THE FUEL GAUGES READING LOWER THAN HE EXPECTED, BUTTHOUGHT THE AIRPLANE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE IT TO THE WEST TEXAS AIRPORT, EL PASO, TEXAS, WHERE HE PLANNED TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE RIGHT TANK RAN OUT OF FUEL. FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, WHEN THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS SELECTED, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. A FORCED LANDING WAS EXECUTED TO ROUGH AND UNEVEN TERRAIN, 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE WEST TEXAS AIRPORT, EL PASO, TEXAS. AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE SITE AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL AT THE SITE. HE STATED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE RIGHT TANK CONTAINED 1/4 INCHES OF FUEL. (-23) ON OCTOBER 3, 1998, AT 12:07 MDT, A PIPER PA-28-180, N8194W, REGISTERED TO WILLIAM PAUL AND JOHN DAVID HEDGES, CRASHED IN THE DESERT APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES EAST OF WEST TEXAS AIRPORT, EL PASO, TX, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF FUEL DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. VISUAL METEROOLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILE D AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT SUSTAINED SEVERE FACIAL INJURIES. ONE PASSENGER, AN ADULT, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, TWO OTHERS, BOTH CHILDREN, WERE UNINJURED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED ABOUT THREE HOURS EARLIER IN SAN ANTONIO, TX.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.