# Accident 20050408006449A: Piper PA32RT300, St. Charles, MO, April 8, 2005

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 8, 2005, 18:30 local time
- Place: St. Charles, MO
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.7267° N, 90.5081° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7267&lon=-90.5081&mi=10
- Aircraft: N36691, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N36691-2008-05-16) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32RT-300 (registry code 7103215, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32rt-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32RT300
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 693 total, 418 in this make and model, 35 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI05CA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI05CA093) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050408006449A

## Narrative

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

(-23) PILOT LAST VISUALLY CHECKED FUEL AT GREENSFIELD AIRPORT (M71). PILOT ESTIMATED "JUST UNDER 25 GALLONS IN THE RIGHT AND A LITTLE OVER 15 IN THE LEFT" AT THAT POINT. PILOT THEN FLEW TO VERSAILLES AIRPORT (3VS) WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE RIGHT TANK. THE PILOT DEPARTED 3VS WITHOUT VISUALLY CHECKING THE FUEL AND CONTINUED FLYING WITH THE SELECTOR SWITCH ON THE RIGHT TANK. ON DESCENT INTO CREVE COEUR AIRPORT (1H0), THE ENGINE "LUNGED" AND THEN QUIT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING TO THE ONLY OPEN FIELD IN THE SUBURBAN AREA. THE PILOT FAILED TO CHANGE FUEL TANKS AFTER THE ENGINE FAILURE. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR WHEN CROSSING THE TREES, WHICH WERE THE LAST BARRIER TO THE LANDING AREA. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE TREES, KNOCKING OFF SEVERAL BRANCHES. THE AIRPLANE LOST ITS LANDING GEAR EITHER WHEN IT STRUCK THE TREES OR WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE PILOT CONTINUED WITH A RELATIVELY NORMAL GEAR UP LANDING IN THE FIELD. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE RIGHT TANK POSITION, THERE WAS NO FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK, AND THE LEFT TANK WAS FULL. LATER STATEMENTS BY THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE FUEL HAD BEEN EXHAUSTED IN THE RIGHT TANK. PILOT ALSO STATED THE AIRPLANE NORMALLY FLEW RIGHT WING HEAVY.

## 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 CHI05CA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI05CA093), Apr 8, 2005: Piper PA-32RT-300 (N36691), St. Charles, MO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision by his failure to switch fuel tanks which resulted in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power. A factor was the trees.

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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