# Accident 20121224028719A: Piper PA-31-350, Leesburg, FL, December 24, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 24, 2012, 14:30 local time
- Place: Leesburg, FL
- Airport: Leesburg International
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.8639° N, 81.8122° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.8639&lon=-81.8122&mi=10
- Aircraft: N78WM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N78WM-2014-11-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31-350
- Reported engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,389 total, 2,243 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA13FA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13FA096) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121224028719A

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED EAGLES NEST, CRESCENT CITY FLORIDA, AT APPROXIMATELY 14:05 HEADED TO LEESBURG REGIONAL AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES FROM LEESBURG AIRPORT WHEN THE PILOT DECLARED LOW FUEL AND REQUESTED STRAIGHT IN APPROACH.  TOWER CLEARED FOR STRAIGHT IN RUNWAY 13 AND TO REPORT AT ONE MILE FINAL.

PILOT DECLARED ONE EMPTY TANK APPROXIMATELY SIX MILES NORTH OF THE LEESBURG REGIONAL AIRPORT.  TOWER CLEARED PILOT TO LAND AIRCRAFT ON RUNWAY 13.

LESS THAN ONE MINUTE LATER, PILOT DECLARED, "LEESBURG  WE'RE OUT OF GAS, NAVAJO IS GOING IN." THE PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES UPON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN.

A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE ACCIDENT AREA REVEALED THERE WAS NO FUEL ON THE GROUND WHERE THE AIRCRAFT FIRST STRUCK, THE AREA WHERE THE AIRCRAFT SLID OR WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST.  THERE WERE NO POST ACCIDENT FIRES.  PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN OF THE FUEL GAUGES SHOWED THE LEFT INDICATOR WAS READING OVER FULL AND THE RIGHT INDICATOR WAS READING OVER ONE QUARTER OF A TANK WITHOUT POWER APPLIED TO THE AIRCRAFT.  OPENING THE FUEL TANK CAPS AND PERFORMING A VISUAL CHECK OF THE FUEL TANKS REVEALED NO FUEL.  THE NTSB IIC'S TRAINEE FROM THE NTSB ALONG WITH A TECHNICIAN FROM PIPER PROCESSED THE AIRCRAFT AT PROFESSIONAL AIRCRAFT SALVAGE TO FIND CONTINUITY IN THE CONTROL CABLES FROM THE COCKPIT TO THE TAIL,  AND THROUGHOUT THE WINGS.  THEY ALSO FOUND GOOD COMPRESSION BY PERFORMING A THUMB COMPRESSION TEST ON ALL CYLINDERS FOR BOTH ENGINES AND THEY WERE ABLE TO VERIFY CRANKSHAFT AND VALVE TRAIN CONTINUITY.  THEY REMOVED THE FUEL QUANTITY SENDERS AND RETAINED THEM PENDING RESISTIVE CHECK INFORMATION FROM PIPER.

## 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 ERA13FA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13FA096), Dec 24, 2012: Piper PA-31-350 (N78WM), Leesburg, FL, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent total loss of power in both engines during cruise flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s…

## Other reports on N78WM (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19940331016659I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940331016659I), Mar 31, 1994: Piper PA31350 (N78WM), Alexandria, LA, Minor damage. Fire exiting the cowling while taxiing to ramp. Shut engine down. Found crack in exhaust manifold.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.