What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A Piper model PA-31-350 was involved in an accident approximately 11 miles nw of the Goodland, KS airport at the intersection of county road 10 and county road 71 on Thursday, January 21, 2015 at approximately 8:56 a.m. central daylight time. The aircraft struck a power line located east and one pole north of the intersection while attempting to land and came to rest in a field approximately 645 feet east of the power line.
The aircraft, enroute from denver international airport (den) to colby, KS airport (cbk), was involved in an accident while an emergency landing was being performed due to dual engine failure. The pilot-in command (PIC) was the holder of a commercial pilot certificate with the appropriate airplane category and class rating, was the sole occupant on-board and no injuries were sustained. This is a CFR part 135 operator and was transporting cargo.
Prior to this flight, this aircraft was flown from dodge city, KS (ddc) to denver, co (apa). The discrepancies documented in the maintenance log were a landing light inoperative and deferred per MEL ata 33-4 and a taxi light inoperative and deferred per MEL 33-5. An aircraft fuel receipt was obtained by an FAA aviation safety inspector at the ddc airport from the local fixed based operation (FBO). The total indicated the aircraft was fueled with 32 gallons of aviation gas. Fueling vehicle records were also obtained to include daily fuel checks, monthly fuel checks, quarterly fuel checks and annual fuel checks. In addition, inspection checklists were obtained for the fuel record of receipt from the transport trucks. All documents indicated inspections and checks were satisfactory as completed. No deficiencies were found.
The pilot was briefly interviewed on January 22, 2015 at 19:30 central standard time. According to the pilot's statement, the aircraft was traveling east at 9,000 ft. with no indication of any engine problems when the left engine fuel pressure light illuminated and he immediately turned on the left fuel boost pump. A brief period later the left engine stopped operating. The pilot indicated he immediately contacted denver center and reported the engine failure. Within the next few minutes the right engine started losing power. The right engine fuel pressure light illuminated and he immediately turned on the right fuel boost pump. A brief period later the right engine stopped operating. The pilot indicated that he was trying to prepare to land at Goodland, KS airport. At this time, he specified that he was busy trying to locate the approach charts to Goodland, KS airport and was consistently trying to remain in contact with denver center. At a certain point in flight with no engines operating, the pilot stated that he determined he was not going to make it to the Goodland, KS airport. The pilot indicated he selected the gear in the down position and selected a remote road to land on. During approach, the pilot stated that he realized there were power lines he was not going to clear. At this point he pulled the aircraft up to an attitude to clear the power lines, however clipping the top power line and power pole. The pilot indicated by performing this action that it stalled the aircraft and landed in the field. The aircraft was transported by an aircraft recovery team to the Goodland, KS airport. The aircraft was lifted to gain access to the lower portion of each engine, all fuel tank sumps and the fuel selector modules located in the lower fuselage. Inlet fuel lines to the engine strainers were disconnected. There was no fuel found for the left engine, however there was approximately two teaspoon of fuel found in the inlet line for the right engine. Fuel was sumped from the left and right outboard fuel tanks. Less than one quart of fuel was found in each tank. The inboard fuel tanks were sumped and approximately 35 gallons of fuel was found in each tank.
As the FAA filed it
A PIPER MODEL PA-31-350 WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT APPROXIMATELY 11 MILES NW OF THE GOODLAND, KS AIRPORT AT THE INTERSECTION OF COUNTY ROAD 10 AND COUNTY ROAD 71 ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:56 A.M. CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A POWER LINE LOCATED EAST AND ONE POLE NORTH OF THE INTERSECTION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AND CAME TO REST IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 645 FEET EAST OF THE POWER LINE.
THE AIRCRAFT, ENROUTE FROM DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (DEN) TO COLBY, KS AIRPORT (CBK), WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS BEING PERFORMED DUE TO DUAL ENGINE FAILURE. THE PILOT-IN COMMAND (PIC) WAS THE HOLDER OF A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH THE APPROPRIATE AIRPLANE CATEGORY AND CLASS RATING, WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON-BOARD AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THIS IS A CFR PART 135 OPERATOR AND WAS TRANSPORTING CARGO.
PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT, THIS AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN FROM DODGE CITY, KS (DDC) TO DENVER, CO (APA). THE DISCREPANCIES DOCUMENTED IN THE MAINTENANCE LOG WERE A LANDING LIGHT INOPERATIVE AND DEFERRED PER MEL ATA 33-4 AND A TAXI LIGHT INOPERATIVE AND DEFERRED PER MEL 33-5. AN AIRCRAFT FUEL RECEIPT WAS OBTAINED BY AN FAA AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR AT THE DDC AIRPORT FROM THE LOCAL FIXED BASED OPERATION (FBO). THE TOTAL INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED WITH 32 GALLONS OF AVIATION GAS. FUELING VEHICLE RECORDS WERE ALSO OBTAINED TO INCLUDE DAILY FUEL CHECKS, MONTHLY FUEL CHECKS, QUARTERLY FUEL CHECKS AND ANNUAL FUEL CHECKS. IN ADDITION, INSPECTION CHECKLISTS WERE OBTAINED FOR THE FUEL RECORD OF RECEIPT FROM THE TRANSPORT TRUCKS. ALL DOCUMENTS INDICATED INSPECTIONS AND CHECKS WERE SATISFACTORY AS COMPLETED. NO DEFICIENCIES WERE FOUND.
THE PILOT WAS BRIEFLY INTERVIEWED ON JANUARY 22, 2015 AT 19:30 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELING EAST AT 9,000 FT. WITH NO INDICATION OF ANY ENGINE PROBLEMS WHEN THE LEFT ENGINE FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON THE LEFT FUEL BOOST PUMP. A BRIEF PERIOD LATER THE LEFT ENGINE STOPPED OPERATING. THE PILOT INDICATED HE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED DENVER CENTER AND REPORTED THE ENGINE FAILURE. WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES THE RIGHT ENGINE STARTED LOSING POWER. THE RIGHT ENGINE FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON THE RIGHT FUEL BOOST PUMP. A BRIEF PERIOD LATER THE RIGHT ENGINE STOPPED OPERATING. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE WAS TRYING TO PREPARE TO LAND AT GOODLAND, KS AIRPORT. AT THIS TIME, HE SPECIFIED THAT HE WAS BUSY TRYING TO LOCATE THE APPROACH CHARTS TO GOODLAND, KS AIRPORT AND WAS CONSISTENTLY TRYING TO REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH DENVER CENTER. AT A CERTAIN POINT IN FLIGHT WITH NO ENGINES OPERATING, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DETERMINED HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE GOODLAND, KS AIRPORT. THE PILOT INDICATED HE SELECTED THE GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION AND SELECTED A REMOTE ROAD TO LAND ON. DURING APPROACH, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE REALIZED THERE WERE POWER LINES HE WAS NOT GOING TO CLEAR. AT THIS POINT HE PULLED THE AIRCRAFT UP TO AN ATTITUDE TO CLEAR THE POWER LINES, HOWEVER CLIPPING THE TOP POWER LINE AND POWER POLE. THE PILOT INDICATED BY PERFORMING THIS ACTION THAT IT STALLED THE AIRCRAFT AND LANDED IN THE FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSPORTED BY AN AIRCRAFT RECOVERY TEAM TO THE GOODLAND, KS AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE LOWER PORTION OF EACH ENGINE, ALL FUEL TANK SUMPS AND THE FUEL SELECTOR MODULES LOCATED IN THE LOWER FUSELAGE. INLET FUEL LINES TO THE ENGINE STRAINERS WERE DISCONNECTED. THERE WAS NO FUEL FOUND FOR THE LEFT ENGINE, HOWEVER THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY TWO TEASPOON OF FUEL FOUND IN THE INLET LINE FOR THE RIGHT ENGINE. FUEL WAS SUMPED FROM THE LEFT AND RIGHT OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS. LESS THAN ONE QUART OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN EACH TANK. THE INBOARD FUEL TANKS WERE SUMPED AND APPROXIMATELY 35 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN EACH TANK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N66906 · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.