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20130822022509A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-38-112 · Madera, CA · August 22, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 22, 2013 · 12:30 local
Place
Madera, CA
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
CUES
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2578L
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR13LA383
Reported as
Piper PA-38-112
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
1,178 total915 in this make and model187 in the last 90 days
N2578LRegistration cancelled Jul 14, 2016 · Piper PA-38-112S/N 38-79A0768 · Built 1979Airframe modelPiper PA-38-112Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

On August 22, 2013, N2578L a Piper tomahawk, made an emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion causing substantial damage to the aircraft. The crew received no injuries.

The flight was being operated as a part 141 flight school training flight . The flight was a commercial cross-country flight from fresno yosemite international airport (kfat) returning to kfat via napa airport (kapc) followed by a diversion to concord airport (kccr) and then livermore airport (klvk). On departure from kfat the flight believed the aircraft had been fueled to 21 gal. On the return flight from livermore (klvk) the aircraft experienced engine roughness due to fuel exhaustion followed by engine stoppage 22 miles north of fresno. The flight instructor took over the flight controls and started a gradual minimum rate decent from 4500FT. As the aircraft descended the instructor attempted several in flight restart procedures, but was unsuccessful. These procedures included carb heat-on, fuel selector-switched tanks, and fuel pump-on. When the engine failure occurred the instructor noted that he had 5 gallons indicated on the left fuel tank and less than 5 on the right. According to his statement he was under the impression he had sufficient fuel onboard to make it all the way to fresno, because prior to leaving kccr he had visually checked the fuel tanks and had approximately 14 gallons left. Accident investigation revealed that only the unusable fuel was still remaining in the fuel tanks after the accident.

As the FAA filed it

ON AUGUST 22, 2013, N2578L A PIPER TOMAHAWK, MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE CREW RECEIVED NO INJURIES.

THE FLIGHT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A PART 141 FLIGHT SCHOOL TRAINING FLIGHT . THE FLIGHT WAS A COMMERCIAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM FRESNO YOSEMITE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KFAT) RETURNING TO KFAT VIA NAPA AIRPORT (KAPC) FOLLOWED BY A DIVERSION TO CONCORD AIRPORT (KCCR) AND THEN LIVERMORE AIRPORT (KLVK). ON DEPARTURE FROM KFAT THE FLIGHT BELIEVED THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FUELED TO 21 GAL. ON THE RETURN FLIGHT FROM LIVERMORE (KLVK) THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED ENGINE ROUGHNESS DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION FOLLOWED BY ENGINE STOPPAGE 22 MILES NORTH OF FRESNO. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK OVER THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND STARTED A GRADUAL MINIMUM RATE DECENT FROM 4500FT. AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED THE INSTRUCTOR ATTEMPTED SEVERAL IN FLIGHT RESTART PROCEDURES, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THESE PROCEDURES INCLUDED CARB HEAT-ON, FUEL SELECTOR-SWITCHED TANKS, AND FUEL PUMP-ON. WHEN THE ENGINE FAILURE OCCURRED THE INSTRUCTOR NOTED THAT HE HAD 5 GALLONS INDICATED ON THE LEFT FUEL TANK AND LESS THAN 5 ON THE RIGHT. ACCORDING TO HIS STATEMENT HE WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION HE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL ONBOARD TO MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO FRESNO, BECAUSE PRIOR TO LEAVING KCCR HE HAD VISUALLY CHECKED THE FUEL TANKS AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 14 GALLONS LEFT. ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ONLY THE UNUSABLE FUEL WAS STILL REMAINING IN THE FUEL TANKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR13LA383Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMadera, CAThe pilots' inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in the airplane departing with insufficient fuel to complete the planned flight, and their failure to recognize that discrepancy en route, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel…Aug 22, 2013 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2578L · 3

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

Incident 20110505010579IHollister, CAIn a statement from the pilot of N2578L, a Piper PA-38-112 was on landing roll at Hollister airport (cvh) when the engine shut off. The pilot attempted to start the engine, and during the second attempt noticed white smoke was starting to come out the front…May 5, 2011 · Substantial damageAccident 19910430014009ALevel Off Touchdown · Fresno, CALost directional control on flare for landing in strong crosswind. Landed in a crab angle. Left runway. Struck signApr 30, 1991 · Substantial damageIncident 19870929064529ITakeoff Ground Roll · Grove City, PASolo student lost directional control on takeoff roll. Departed runway side and collapsed gear.Sep 29, 1987 · Minor damage