20040206001449I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA32300 · Ardmore, OK · February 6, 2004

Date: February 6, 2004 · 11:30 local
Place: Ardmore, OK
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: CFGCI
Reported as: Piper PA32300
People aboard: 6
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,000 total900 in this make and model36 in the last 90 days

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) privacy data omitted pilot stated that he was on an IFR flight from little rock, Arkansas to lubbock, Texas. During cruise flight at 6000 feet he experienced fluctuating fuel pressure. He switched fuel tanks with no change. The engine completely stopped operating about 2 minutes from the first indication of fuel pressure problems. The pilot declared an emergency with fort worth center and was vectored to the closest airport which was Ardmore (adm). Pilot stated that he descended through a layer of clouds from 5000 feet to 4000 and proceeded VFR to (adm). Pilot stated that he realized he would not make the airport and conducted an off-airport landing in a pasture 2 miles east of adm. Right landing gear was sheared off. Water was observed in all tanks of the aircraft during fuel sumping test conducted by the iic at the off-site landing.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT FROM LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS TO LUBBOCK, TEXAS. DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT 6000 FEET HE EXPERIENCED FLUCTUATING FUEL PRESSURE. HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS WITH NO CHANGE. THE ENGINE COMPLETELY STOPPED OPERATING ABOUT 2 MINUTES FROM THE FIRST INDICATION OF FUEL PRESSURE PROBLEMS. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH FORT WORTH CENTER AND WAS VECTORED TO THE CLOSEST AIRPORT WHICH WAS ARDMORE (ADM). PILOT STATED THAT HE DESCENDED THROUGH A LAYER OF CLOUDS FROM 5000 FEET TO 4000 AND PROCEEDED VFR TO (ADM). PILOT STATED THAT HE REALIZED HE WOULD NOT MAKE THE AIRPORT AND CONDUCTED AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING IN A PASTURE 2 MILES EAST OF ADM. RIGHT LANDING GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF. WATER WAS OBSERVED IN ALL TANKS OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING FUEL SUMPING TEST CONDUCTED BY THE IIC AT THE OFF-SITE LANDING.