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20170611005339A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-25-260 · Hood River, OR · June 11, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 11, 2017 · 16:45 local
Place
Hood River, OR
Airport
Ken Jernstedt Airfield
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8578L
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA17CA331
Reported as
Piper PA-25-260
Reported engine
Lycoming O-540-G1A5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
317 total7 in this make and model18 in the last 90 days
N8578LRegistration cancelled Aug 28, 2018 · Piper PA-25-260S/N 25-5004 · Built 1969Airframe modelPiper PA-25-260Engine modelLycoming O-540-G1A5Reciprocating

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.

While returning to airport after releasing glider at 3000' PIC noted aircraft was at 2 hours of operaton on engine tach meter. At start or day PIC estimated he had roughly 2 hours of fuel onboard. When he checked the visual indicator it showed no fuel. He was west and upwind of the airport as he entered a normal procedure at 2500' descending RH 360 degree turn to enter downwind leg at a 45 for landing runway 25 left hand pattern. Half way through turn at furthest point (2 miles) abeam runway 7 engine quit due to fuel starvation. PIC attempted to make runway 7 but with 8-17 knots head wind and loss of altitude in turn and distance from airport he couldn't make airport. PIC selected smallest and least dense group of trees in a peach orchard 1000' south of airport. Aircraft struck several trees during descent then hit ground detaching both main landing gear on impact. Aircraft continued on ground until striking peach tree trunk with prop hub on LH side causing engine mount and fuselage structure to compress to the RH side and aircraft spun on ground coming rest 90 degrees right of flight path, came to rest at base of tree. Minor facial injury to PIC when he impacted glareshield. Was wearing a 5 point harness.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE RETURNING TO AIRPORT AFTER RELEASING GLIDER AT 3000' PIC NOTED AIRCRAFT WAS AT 2 HOURS OF OPERATON ON ENGINE TACH METER. AT START OR DAY PIC ESTIMATED HE HAD ROUGHLY 2 HOURS OF FUEL ONBOARD. WHEN HE CHECKED THE VISUAL INDICATOR IT SHOWED NO FUEL. HE WAS WEST AND UPWIND OF THE AIRPORT AS HE ENTERED A NORMAL PROCEDURE AT 2500' DESCENDING RH 360 DEGREE TURN TO ENTER DOWNWIND LEG AT A 45 FOR LANDING RUNWAY 25 LEFT HAND PATTERN. HALF WAY THROUGH TURN AT FURTHEST POINT (2 MILES) ABEAM RUNWAY 7 ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. PIC ATTEMPTED TO MAKE RUNWAY 7 BUT WITH 8-17 KNOTS HEAD WIND AND LOSS OF ALTITUDE IN TURN AND DISTANCE FROM AIRPORT HE COULDN'T MAKE AIRPORT. PIC SELECTED SMALLEST AND LEAST DENSE GROUP OF TREES IN A PEACH ORCHARD 1000' SOUTH OF AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT STRUCK SEVERAL TREES DURING DESCENT THEN HIT GROUND DETACHING BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR ON IMPACT. AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ON GROUND UNTIL STRIKING PEACH TREE TRUNK WITH PROP HUB ON LH SIDE CAUSING ENGINE MOUNT AND FUSELAGE STRUCTURE TO COMPRESS TO THE RH SIDE AND AIRCRAFT SPUN ON GROUND COMING REST 90 DEGREES RIGHT OF FLIGHT PATH, CAME TO REST AT BASE OF TREE. MINOR FACIAL INJURY TO PIC WHEN HE IMPACTED GLARESHIELD. WAS WEARING A 5 POINT HARNESS.

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 GAA17CA331Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportHood River, ORThe pilot's failure to visually check the fuel level prior to takeoff and subsequent mismanagement of the available fuel supply during numerous glider tow flights.Jun 11, 2017 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8578L · 1

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

Accident 20000617008099ATo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Coleville, CA(-23) On June 17, 2000 at 1500 hours PDT Piper N8578L collided with a fence on takeoff from a dirt field near Coleville, CA. The a/c being operated as a tow plane suffered substantial damage. The glider being recovered from the field was able to release and…Jun 17, 2000 · Substantial damage