20030820020969I

Incident

FAA incident report · Piper PA-31-310 · Lubbock, TX · August 20, 2003

Date: August 20, 2003 · 15:45 local
Place: Lubbock, TX
Airport: Lubbock International Airport
Phase of flight: Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N6463L
Reported as: Piper PA31310
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,800 total100 in this make and model104 in the last 90 days

N6463LRegistration cancelled Jun 13, 2008 · Piper PA-31-310S/N 31-421 · Built 1969 Airframe modelPiper PA-31-310 Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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 August 20, 2003, at approximately 1545 CDT, a Piper PA-31 navajo, N6463L, serial number 31-421, made an emergency landing in a cotton field located approximately 4 miles southeast of Lubbock International Airport. The aircraft landed to the south, parallel to the cotton rows. There were no injuries to the single occupant, and no damage to the aircraft was sustained. The pilot stated that the left engine lost power and shortly thereafter the right engine also lost power. Inspection of the fuel quantity indicators revealed that indicating needles showed approximately 1/8 fuel left in all fuel tanks. The flight originated in Lubbock, Texas, with the final destination being Lubbock, via addison and abilene, Texas. The pilot stated that he had the main tanks topped off prior to departure and the auxiliary tanks were approx. 3/8 full. The pilot stated that he did not refuel in addison or abilene.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON AUGUST 20, 2003, AT APPROXIMATELY 1545 CDT, A PIPER PA-31 NAVAJO, N6463L, SERIAL NUMBER 31-421, MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A COTTON FIELD LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LUBBOCK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED TO THE SOUTH, PARALLEL TO THE COTTON ROWS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE SINGLE OCCUPANT, AND NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUSTAINED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE LOST POWER AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE RIGHT ENGINE ALSO LOST POWER. INSPECTION OF THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS REVEALED THAT INDICATING NEEDLES SHOWED APPROXIMATELY 1/8 FUEL LEFT IN ALL FUEL TANKS. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN LUBBOCK, TEXAS, WITH THE FINAL DESTINATION BEING LUBBOCK, VIA ADDISON AND ABILENE, TEXAS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD THE MAIN TANKS TOPPED OFF PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND THE AUXILIARY TANKS WERE APPROX. 3/8 FULL. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT REFUEL IN ADDISON OR ABILENE.