# Accident 20051107031449A: Piper PA28161, Payson, AZ, November 7, 2005

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 7, 2005, 01:05 local time
- Place: Payson, AZ
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.2567° N, 111.3392° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2567&lon=-111.3392&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2111P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2111P-2006-07-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28161
- Reported engine: LYC O320D3G
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 118 total, 37 in this make and model, 19 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX06CA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06CA026) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20051107031449A

## Narrative

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

(-23) WHILE ON NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM ODESSA TX TO PRESCOTT AZ PILOT EXPERIENCED FLUCTUATIONS IN ENGINE RPM APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR WEST OF ST. JOHNS VOR. HE WAS IN CONTACT WITH ALBUQUERQUE CENTER VIA FLIGHT FOLLOWING AT 10,500 MSL WHEN HE STATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO DIVERT TO PAYSON AZ AIRPORT. ABQ CNTR GAVE HIM COMPASS AND DISTANCE DIRECTIONS TO THE AIRPORT. PILOT STATED HIS ENGINE WAS "GOING IN & OUT" AND WAS SQUAWKING 7700. HE STATED THAT HIS VACUUM LIGHT WAS ON AND THE GAUGE WAS READING 0. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS AND RESTART THE ENGINE. HOWEVER, IT ONLY RAN FOR ANOTHER MINUTE BEFORE IT QUIT RUNNING AGAIN. DURING THIS TIME THE PILOT WAS FLYING DIRECT TO THE AIRPORT BUT DESCENDING. HE THEN STATED TO ABQ CNTR THE ENGINE HAD QUIT AGAIN AND HE THOUGHT HIS TANKS WERE EMPTY. HE STATED HE WAS GLIDING AT 75, BUT IT DID NOT APPEAR THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE AIRPORT. HE TURNED ON HIS LANDING LIGHT AND SAW TREES COMING UP. HE THEN FLARED THE AIRCRAFT. IT STRUCK A TREE WITH THE OUTBOARD 1/4 OF THE RIGHT HAND WING, AND CLIPPED A SMALLER TREE WITH THE LEFT WING TIP. BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT WITH THE TREES, THE AIRCRAFT SWUNG AROUND APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES AND IMPACTED THE GROUND TRAVELING BACKWARDS. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE, WITH THE RIGHT WING DETACHED FROM THE AIRFRAME AT THE WING ATTACH POINTS. DURING THE INVESTIGATION AT THE CRASH SITE, IT WAS NOTED THERE WAS NO INDICATIONS OF FUEL ON THE GROUND UNDER THE AIRCRAFT AND NO SMELL OF FUEL IN THE AREA. A VISUAL CHECK OF THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS MADE - NO FUEL WAS VISIBLE IN THE TANK FROM THE FILLER CAP. A SMALL AMOUNT OF BLUE COLORED GASOLINE COULD BE DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT HAND FUEL DRAIN (1/2 OF A BABY FOOD JAR). NO FUEL COULD BE DRAINED FROM THE LEFT HAND WING AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS LAYING ON ITS RIGHT HAND SIDE. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS ON THE LEFT TANK. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT RECOVERY TEAM REMOVED THE WRECKAGE THEY WERE ABLE TO DRAIN 21 OUNCES OF FUEL FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK, NO FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE RIGHT WING, AND THE FUEL GASCOLATOR WAS LESS THAN HALF FULL.

## 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 LAX06CA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06CA026), Nov 7, 2005: Piper PA-28-161 (N2111P), Payson, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which was caused by the pilot's inadequate preflight and in-flight planning, his inadequate fuel consumption calculations, and his failure to divert to…

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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