What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On December 26, 1998, about 1436 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N32679, registered to jkj aviation LLC, crashed while making a forced landing following loss of engine power, at Knoxville, Tennessee, while on a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the private-rated pilot and one passenger received serious injuries. The flight originated from orlando, Florida, the same day, about 0954. While approaching to land at mcghee-Tyson airport, Knoxville, Tennessee, the pilot reported to FAA air traffic controllers that he was low on fuel. A short time later the pilot reported the engine had quit. The aircraft crashed about 1 mile northeast of the airport. Postcrash examination of the aircraft by an FAA inspector showed the aircraft contained no usable fuel and there was no evidence of precrash or postcrash fuel leakage from the aircraft. (.4) while approaching his destination airport, the pilot switched to the right fuel tank, believing he had 40 minutes of fuel remaining in each tank. About 10 minutes later, the fu el pressure dropped and the engine lost power. The pilot switched back to left fuel tank and the engine restarted. The pilot asked for priority handling from ATC and as he approached the airport, the engine quit. He made a forced landing in a residential area. Post crash examination showed the aircraft contained no usable fuel and there was no evidence of fuel leakage from the aircraft in flight or after the accident. Examination of the engine showed no evidence of precrash mechanical failure or malfunction. The carburetor throat did have dark staining consistent with operating with a rich fuel mixture. The pilot stated the flight departed with 48 gallons of fuel. The flight had flown 4.7 hours since departure at the time of engine failure, indicating a fuel consumption of about 10.1 gallons of fuel per hour. The pilot stated the engine normally consumed 9 gallons of fuel per hour and he leans the fuel mixture in cruise flight in accordance with the manufacturers procedures. (-23) aircraft departed orlando, FL (orl) IFR to Knoxville, TN (tys). Total flight time 4:39. Engine failed and a/c crashed approximately 1 mile east of tys. No evidence of fuel on board.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON DECEMBER 26, 1998, ABOUT 1436 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180, N32679, REGISTERED TO JKJ AVIATION LLC, CRASHED WHILE MAKING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AT KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM ORLANDO, FLORIDA, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 0954. WHILE APPROACHING TO LAND AT MCGHEE-TYSON AIRPORT, KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, THE PILOT REPORTED TO FAA AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS THAT HE WAS LOW ON FUEL. A SHORT TIME LATER THE PILOT REPORTED THE ENGINE HAD QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ABOUT 1 MILE NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY AN FAA INSPECTOR SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT CONTAINED NO USABLE FUEL AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF PRECRASH OR POSTCRASH FUEL LEAKAGE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. (.4) WHILE APPROACHING HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE PILOT SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, BELIEVING HE HAD 40 MINUTES OF FUEL REMAINING IN EACH TANK. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, THE FU EL PRESSURE DROPPED AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT SWITCHED BACK TO LEFT FUEL TANK AND THE ENGINE RESTARTED. THE PILOT ASKED FOR PRIORITY HANDLING FROM ATC AND AS HE APPROACHED THE AIRPORT, THE ENGINE QUIT. HE MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. POST CRASH EXAMINATION SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT CONTAINED NO USABLE FUEL AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE FROM THE AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT OR AFTER THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF PRECRASH MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE CARBURETOR THROAT DID HAVE DARK STAINING CONSISTENT WITH OPERATING WITH A RICH FUEL MIXTURE. THE PILOT STATED THE FLIGHT DEPARTED WITH 48 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE FLIGHT HAD FLOWN 4.7 HOURS SINCE DEPARTURE AT THE TIME OF ENGINE FAILURE, INDICATING A FUEL CONSUMPTION OF ABOUT 10.1 GALLONS OF FUEL PER HOUR. THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE NORMALLY CONSUMED 9 GALLONS OF FUEL PER HOUR AND HE LEANS THE FUEL MIXTURE IN CRUISE FLIGHT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURERS PROCEDURES. (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ORLANDO, FL (ORL) IFR TO KNOXVILLE, TN (TYS). TOTAL FLIGHT TIME 4:39. ENGINE FAILED AND A/C CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE EAST OF TYS. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL ON BOARD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.