# Accident 19981008028349A: Piper PA31350, Ravenna, OH, October 8, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 8, 1998, 02:55 local time - Place: Ravenna, OH - Airport: Portage County Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Missed Approach IFR - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: CSJA - Location: 41.1503° N, 81.2400° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1503&lon=-81.2400&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3543A, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3543A-2017-04-07) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA31350 - Reported engine: LYC TIO540J2BD - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,370 total, 80 in this make and model, 85 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC99LA005](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA005) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981008028349A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. CHECK HAULER WAS CLERED FOR VISUAL APPROACH WHEN IT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES.(.19) ON OCTOBER 8, 1998, ABOUT 0255 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-31-350, N3543A, OPERATED BY CASTLE AVIATION WAS DESTROYED DURING A FORCED LANDING, NEAR RAVENNA, OHIO. THE CERTIFIED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE POSITIONING FLIGHT, WHICH HAD DEPARTED FROM DETROIT, MICHIGAN. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA), THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED EARLIER IN THE EVENING FROM PORTAGE COUNTY AIRPORT, RAVENNA, WITH FULL FUEL TANKS (182 GALLONS OF USEABLE FUEL). THE PILOT OPERATED THE AIRPLANE ON A SERIES OF POSITIONING FLIGHTS UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND WHEN CARGO WAS CARRIED, THE FLIGHTS WERE OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 135. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE LAST CARGO FLIGHT, THE PILOT WAS ASKED BY COMPANY PERSONNEL IF HE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE RETURN FLIGHT TO RAVENNA, AND REPLIED THAT HE DID. EN ROUTE TO PORTAGE COUNTY AIRPORT, THE PILOT USED THE REMAINING FUEL IN THE AUXILLARY TANKS AND THEN SWITCHED TO THE MAIN TANKS. WHILE ON A DESCENT, ABOUT 2,600 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL), AND MANEUVERING FOR A VISUAL APPROACH, THE ENGINES STARTED SURGING AND SUBSEQUENTLY LOST POWER. THE PILOT THEN PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING IN A WOODED AREA ABOUT 5 MILES EAST OF THE AIRPORT. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY FAA INSPECTORS REVEALED THAT ALL FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY, AND THE AIRPLANE HAD FLOWN 4.3 HOURS SINCE BEING REFUELED. DURING THAT TIME, THE PILOT PERFORMED SIX TAKEOFFS, TWO APPROACHES WITH HIGHER THAN NORMAL SPEEDS AT THE REQUEST OF APPROACH CONTROL, ONE MISSED APROACH TO A SECOND ILS APPROACH. THE PILOT ALSO INCURRED A 20 MINUTE GROUND DELAY WITH BOTH ENGINES OPERATING PRIOR TO HIS FINAL DEPARTURE. DURING AN INTERVIEW, THE PILOT TOLD THE FAA INSPECTORS THAT ON THE SECOND LEG OF THE FLIGHT, WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH AND WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR THE ILS A SECOND TIME, NOTICED THAT A CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED, AND RESET IT. THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER WOULD NOT STAY RESET AS LONG AS THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED. HOWEVER, WHEN THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED, THE CIRCUIT BREAKER WOULD STAY RESET. THE PILOT CONTINUED TO OPERATE THE AIRPLANE IN THIS CONDITION ON FOUR ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS, OF WHICH THE LAST ONE TERMINATED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE FAA INSPECTORS ALSO REPORTED THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER THAT WOULD POP WHEN THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED, CONTROLLED THE LANDING GEAR LIGHTS, THE OIL PRESSURE INDICATIONS FOR BOTH ENGINE, AND BOTH FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES. THE PILOT ALSO TOLD THE FAA INSPECTORS THAT THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED BETWEEN 1/4 AND 1/2 ON THE MAIN FUEL TANKS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FROM DETROIT. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION BY FAA INSPECTORS REVEALED THAT WITH NO ELECTRICAL POWER ON THE FUEL QUANTITY MEASURING SYSTEM, THE LEFT FUEL TANK GAUGE READ 1/4 AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK GAUGE READ 1/3. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HIS TOTAL TIME WAS ABOUT 2,000 HOURS, WITH 80 HOURS IN THE PIPER PA-31-350. (.4) THE PILOT DEPARTED ON A NIGHT MULTIPLE-LEG FLIGHT SERIES WITH FULL TANKS. ON APPROACH FOR THE SECOND LANDING, THE GREEN LANDING GEAR LIGHT EXTINGUISHED. THE PILOT DISCOVERED THAT IF THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER WOULD STAY IN AND IF THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER WOULD POP. THE CIRCUIT BREAKER CONTROLLED THE LANDING GEAR LIGHTS, THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE, AND BOTH FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES. THE PILOT CONTINUED ON FOUR ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS IN THAT CONDITION. THE FOURTH FLIGHT TERMINATED 5 MILES FROM THE RUNWAY WITH A DOUBLE POWER LOSS. EXAMINATION REVEALED THE FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY. THE PILOT HAD FLOWN THE AIRPLANE 4.3 HOURS INCLUDING 6 TAKEOFFS, ONE MISSED APPROACH, AND A 20 MINUTE GROUND RUN PRIOR TO DEPARTURE WITH BOTH ENGINES RUNNING ON THE FINAL FLIGHT. ## 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 NYC99LA005](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA005), Oct 8, 1998: Piper PA-31-350 (N3543A), Ravenna, OH, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot's improper decision to continue to operate the airplane with inoperative equipment which resulted in fuel exhaustion. Factors were the inoperative fuel quantity gauges, and the night… ## Other reports on N3543A (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19960103002179I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960103002179I), Jan 3, 1996: Piper PA31350 (N3543A), Cleveland, OH, Minor damage. Narrative: removed from service by employer at time of incident and given three hours ground instruction by check airman and observed check airman give Mr.… - [Incident 19950125004439I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950125004439I), Jan 25, 1995: Piper PA31350 (N3543A), New Philadelphi, OH, Minor damage. Narrative: aircraft landed gear up as gear was not down and locked. Scraping bottom of aircraft and damaging propellers approximately 4 inches from each prop… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.