# Accident 19990627022459A: Piper PA34220T, Laredo, TX, June 27, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 27, 1999, 16:28 local time - Place: Laredo, TX - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Missed Approach IFR - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 27.5106° N, 99.4990° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.5106&lon=-99.4990&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8329M, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8329M-2005-06-22) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-34-220T (registry code 7103420, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-220t) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA34220T - Reported engine: CONT TSIO360KB - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,722 total, 54 in this make and model, 185 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA174) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990627022459A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON JUNE 27, 1999, AT 1628 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-34-220T TWIN-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N8329M, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY C&S ADTD AVIATION, INC., OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF POWER NEAR LAREDO, TEXAS. THE INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THE TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, FOR A DESTINATION OF LAREDO. ACCORDING TO A WRITTEN STATEMENT PROVIDED BY THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, ON DEPARTURE THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE FOR THE RIGHT TANK INDICATED 35 GALLONS AND THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE FOR THE LEFT TANK INDICATED "SLIGHTLY HIGHER." APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE AMMETER BEGAN INDICATING A "HIGH CHARGE." HE TURNED OFF THE AIRCRAFT'S RADAR AND OTHER "UNNECESSARY" RADIOS. HE THEN OBSERVED THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE FOR THE LEFT TANK DECREASE FROM 8 GALLONS TO ZERO AND THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE FOR THE RIGHT TANK DECREASE FROM 20 GALLONS TO ZERO. SUBSEQUENTLY, BOTH ENGINES LOST POWER. THE PILOT INITIATED A FORCED LANDING TO A NEARBY ROAD. HOWEVER, AFTER OBSERVING TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD, HE ELECTED TO PERFORM A GEAR-UP LANDING ADJACENT TO THE ROAD. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED A METAL FENCE POST. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST NOSE DOWN IN A DITCH. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY THE FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED A PARTIAL SEPARATION OF THE RIGHT WING, AND BOTH PROPELLERS WERE DAMAGED. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED NO USABLE FUEL IN THE LEFT FUEL TANK, AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. (.4)DURING DESCENT FOR LANDING, THE TWIN-ENGINE AIRPLANE LOST POWER IN BOTH ENGINES DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, THE FUEL GAUGES WERE READING A LITTLE OVER 30 GALLONS ON THE LEFT AND ABOUT 35 GALLONS ON THE RIGHT. WHEN THE FLIGHT NEARED ITS DESTINATION, THE PILOT STARTED A DESCENT FOR LANDING. AS HE 'PITCHED' THE NOSE DOWN, THE LEFT GAUGE WENT TO ZERO. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE RIGHT GAUGE WENT FROM ABOUT 20 GALLONS TO ZERO, AND A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER, FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT ENGINE. A FORCED LANDING WAS INITIATED T O A NEARBY ROAD; HOWEVER, AFTER OBSERVING TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD, THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN THE GRASS AREA NEXT TO THE ROAD. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED A METAL FENCE POST, AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST NOSE DOWN IN A DITCH. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED NO USABLE FUEL IN THE LEFT FUEL TANK, AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS DESTROYED. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS ACCIDENT BY ADDING AN 'EXTRA 10 GALLONS' OF FUEL. (-23)ON 6-27-99, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ , WAS THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF N8329M, A PIPER SENECA, ENROUTE FROM SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (KSAT) TO LAREDO, TEXAS (KLRD). AT 2128Z, N8329M MADE AN OFF AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE SHOULDER OF LOOP 20, APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES NORTH OF THE LAREDO AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A DUAL ENGINE FAILURE . ^PRIVACY DATA^ WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN AND BEEN CLEARED TO LAND BY LAREDO TOWER. THE WEATHER WAS VFR AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN VMC. THERE WERE 2 PASSENGERS AND THE PILOT ONBOARD. THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES TREATED BY EMS AT THE SCENE AND THE PASSENGERS HAD NO INJURIES. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. ## 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 FTW99LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA174), Jun 27, 1999: Piper PA-34-220T (N8329M), Laredo, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to refuel, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing. ## Other reports on N8329M (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19840530029059I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19840530029059I), May 30, 1984: Piper PA34220T (N8329M), Afton, OK, Minor damage. The aircraft porpoised on landing. Damaged propeller tips. 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.