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20001012043039A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-140 · East Lansing, MI · October 12, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 12, 2000
Place
East Lansing, MI
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N732FL
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI01LA009
Reported as
Piper PA28140
Reported engine
Lycoming O320*
Fatal injuries
0
N732FLRegistration cancelled Dec 16, 2003 · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-7225510 · Built 1972Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On 10/12/00 acft N732FL departed wilkes-barre/scranton airport at 5:01 pm local after topping off with fuel (50 gal capacity). Pilot states he visually checked fuel level prior to departing for Lansing. Aircraft filed no flight plan, but did flight following 2775 sw code. Aircraft proceeded direct erie pa. Then followed shoreline toward sandusky, OH. Traffic at cleveland required a vector off-shore 15-20 miles. Pilot stated that he had intended to refuel at sandusky, OH., but due to the over-water vector he then decided to go direct to Lansing omitting the fuel stop. Pilot had also stated that he felt that he had adequate fuel to go direct. After approx. 4HRS 35 mins of flight fuel starvation occurred 4.5 miles east of destination. Pilot stated that he made an attempt to stay aloft as long as possible, and look for a place to put the acft down. Aircraft was nosed into a residential backyard at privacy data omitted accident occurred at 2130 local, according to the police report. The aircraft had come down through some trees and landed across a fenceline. The wreckage was positioned nose-down to the ground, the tail was about 8FT up a tree leaning against it, the fuselage was rotated approx. 90DEGREES on it's left hand side. Both fuel caps were still on and secured with no evidence of leakage or streaking in the area. Fuel cells were found to be intact, but no fuel found in tanks. No evidence of fuel spillage found on or around aircraft. No fuel spillage or fuel smell in vicinity of aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 10/12/00 ACFT N732FL DEPARTED WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON AIRPORT AT 5:01 PM LOCAL AFTER TOPPING OFF WITH FUEL (50 GAL CAPACITY). PILOT STATES HE VISUALLY CHECKED FUEL LEVEL PRIOR TO DEPARTING FOR LANSING. AIRCRAFT FILED NO FLIGHT PLAN, BUT DID FLIGHT FOLLOWING 2775 SW CODE. AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED DIRECT ERIE PA. THEN FOLLOWED SHORELINE TOWARD SANDUSKY, OH. TRAFFIC AT CLEVELAND REQUIRED A VECTOR OFF-SHORE 15-20 MILES. PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD INTENDED TO REFUEL AT SANDUSKY, OH., BUT DUE TO THE OVER-WATER VECTOR HE THEN DECIDED TO GO DIRECT TO LANSING OMITTING THE FUEL STOP. PILOT HAD ALSO STATED THAT HE FELT THAT HE HAD ADEQUATE FUEL TO GO DIRECT. AFTER APPROX. 4HRS 35 MINS OF FLIGHT FUEL STARVATION OCCURRED 4.5 MILES EAST OF DESTINATION. PILOT STATED THAT HE MADE AN ATTEMPT TO STAY ALOFT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, AND LOOK FOR A PLACE TO PUT THE ACFT DOWN. AIRCRAFT WAS NOSED INTO A RESIDENTIAL BACKYARD AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMI^ ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT 2130 LOCAL, ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD COME DOWN THROUGH SOME TREES AND LANDED ACROSS A FENCELINE. THE WRECKAGE WAS POSITIONED NOSE-DOWN TO THE GROUND, THE TAIL WAS ABOUT 8FT UP A TREE LEANING AGAINST IT, THE FUSELAGE WAS ROTATED APPROX. 90DEGREES ON IT'S LEFT HAND SIDE. BOTH FUEL CAPS WERE STILL ON AND SECURED WITH NO EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE OR STREAKING IN THE AREA. FUEL CELLS WERE FOUND TO BE INTACT, BUT NO FUEL FOUND IN TANKS. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE FOUND ON OR AROUND AIRCRAFT. NO FUEL SPILLAGE OR FUEL SMELL IN VICINITY OF AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI01LA009Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLansing, MIthe pilot's inaccurate preflight planning. Factors were the fuel exhaustion, the trees, and the bright night condition.Oct 12, 2000 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N732FL · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19740306004259ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Pottstown, PAMar 6, 1974 · Substantial damage