# Accident 20050210001599A: Piper PA24250, Bolivar, MO, February 10, 2005

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 10, 2005, 19:45 local time
- Place: Bolivar, MO
- Airport: Bolivar Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.5961° N, 93.3481° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.5961&lon=-93.3481&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5961P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5961P-2008-02-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA24250
- Reported engine: LYC O540*
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 500 total, 6 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI05LA069](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI05LA069) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050210001599A

## Narrative

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

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED OTTAWA EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (Z98), ZEELAND, MI AT APPROXIMATELY 2240 UTC WITH A PLANNED DESTINATION OF LAMAR MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KLLU), LAMAR, MO. THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN OR COMMUNICATE WITH ATC DURING THE FLIGHT. DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE FLIGHT, IN THE SOUTHWEST MISSOURI AREA, THE PILOT BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT LOW FUEL AND BEGAN CALLING VARIOUS AIRPORTS ON THEIR COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCIES. WHEN HE COULD NOT LOCATE ANY NEARBY AIRPORT THAT HAD FUEL AVAILABLE, HE DIVERTED TO BOLIVAR MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, (M17) BOLIVAR, MO. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED BOLIVAR, THE LEFT TANK RAN DRY. PRIOR TO ENTERING DOWNWIND TO RUNWAY 36, THE RIGHT TANK RAN DRY. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE LOCATED ON A GOLF COURSE APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE SOUTH OF THE BOLIVAR AIRPORT AS THE PILOT MANEUVERED FOR A FORCED LANDING. (-23 AMENDMENT) DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE FLIGHT, IN THE SOUTHWEST MISSOURI AREA, THE PILOT BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT LOW FUEL AND CONTACTED THE AIRPORT MANAGER AT EL DORADO SPRINGS MEMORIAL AIRPORT (87K) AT EL DORADO SPRINGS, MO ON THEIR COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY. THE PILOT THEN DIVERTED T                                                    O THE NEAREST AVAILABLE AIRPORT, WHICH WAS BOLIVAR MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (M17), BOLIVAR, MO, AFTER HE DETERMINED THAT FUEL WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT 87K. THE LEFT TANK RAN DRY AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED M17. PRIOR TO ENTERING DOWNWIND TO RUNWAY 36, THE RIGHT TANK RAN DRY. AS THE PILOT MANUEVERED FOR A FORCED LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT LOST TOO MUCH ALTITUDE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 36 AND STRUCK A TREE LOCATED ON A GOLF COURSE APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE SOUTH OF M17.

## 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 CHI05LA069](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI05LA069), Feb 11, 2005: Piper PA-24-250 (N5961P), Bolivar, MO, substantial damage. Probable cause: A loss of engine power due to the pilot's inaccurate preflight and inflight planning which resulted in an inadequate fuel supply for the flight, and the subsequent fuel exhaustion. A factor…

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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