# Incident 20000107002799I: Piper PA46-500TP, St Pierce, FL, January 7, 2000

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 7, 2000, 16:45 local time
- Place: St Pierce, FL
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft: N403MM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N403MM-2005-12-16) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA46-500TP (registry code 7104622, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa46-500tp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series (registry code 52032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000107002799I

## Narrative

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

(-5) DURING AN EXPERIMENTAL FLIGHT TEST TO DETERMINE UNUSABLE FUEL DURING LEVEL FLIGHT AT MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED CRUISE (FAR 23 SECTION 959 AND ADVISORY CIRCULAR NUMBER 23.959-1, APPENDIX 1), THE TEMPORARY, 21-GALLON PLASTIC FUEL TANK, LOCATED IN THE CABIN, COLLAPSED. THE CABIN WAS PRESSURIZED AND THE FUEL TANK WAS VENTED TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE. THE TANK COLLAPSED DUE TOT HE EXTERNAL PRESSURE, FORCING APPROXIMATELY 15 GALLONS OF FUEL OVERBOARD. THE DEFORMATION OF THE TANK CRUSHED THE TANK'S INTERNAL ALUMINUM SUCTION TUBE ASSEMBLY MAKING THE REMAINING FUEL INACCESSIBLE. AT THIS STAGE OF THE TEST, NO USABLE FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE AIRCRAFT'S STANDARD FUEL TANKS. A SUBSEQUENT OFF-AIRPORT LANDING WAS MADE ON I-95.

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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