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20180225005159I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Camp Pendleton, CA · February 25, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
February 25, 2018 · 16:40 local
Place
Camp Pendleton, CA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N244TW
Reported as
Piper PA-24-250
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
300 total40 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

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 February 25, 2018, a PA-24 comanche took off from paso robles(kprb) to carlsbad (kcrq) with approximately 26 gallons of fuel and total of four individuals on board. The pilot stated that after his fuel calculations, he determined that he needed at least 25 gallons of fuel aboard to complete the trip.

South of dana point at the beginning of descent the engine started sputtering. The pilot declared an emergency over Camp Pendleton due to his engine roughness. He landed safe at a military heli pad/runway.

The pilot stated that he selects each tank individually and switches tanks during the flight. Inspector from the san diego FSDO asked how he determined when he needed to switch tanks and the pilot responded "I run one tank empty and then switch tanks". A san diego FSDO inspector asked again what he did on the day of the flight and he said " I switched between them until the one side ran out of fuel".

The next morning, inspectors from the san diego FSDO went over to check the aircraft. The fuel tanks were checked for fuel. The tanks were drained and the right main tank had only .5 gallons and 4 gallons in the left main tank, the tip tanks were dry.

The aircraft was serviced with 15 gallons on each main tank, after a couple attempts to prime the engine it started and ground operations was found normal. Aircraft departed and returned to palomar airport (crq). All systems operated normal.

As the FAA filed it

ON FEBRUARY 25, 2018, A PA-24 COMANCHE TOOK OFF FROM PASO ROBLES(KPRB) TO CARLSBAD (KCRQ) WITH APPROXIMATELY 26 GALLONS OF FUEL AND TOTAL OF FOUR INDIVIDUALS ON BOARD. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER HIS FUEL CALCULATIONS, HE DETERMINED THAT HE NEEDED AT LEAST 25 GALLONS OF FUEL ABOARD TO COMPLETE THE TRIP.

SOUTH OF DANA POINT AT THE BEGINNING OF DESCENT THE ENGINE STARTED SPUTTERING. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY OVER CAMP PENDLETON DUE TO HIS ENGINE ROUGHNESS. HE LANDED SAFE AT A MILITARY HELI PAD/RUNWAY.

THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SELECTS EACH TANK INDIVIDUALLY AND SWITCHES TANKS DURING THE FLIGHT. INSPECTOR FROM THE SAN DIEGO FSDO ASKED HOW HE DETERMINED WHEN HE NEEDED TO SWITCH TANKS AND THE PILOT RESPONDED "I RUN ONE TANK EMPTY AND THEN SWITCH TANKS". A SAN DIEGO FSDO INSPECTOR ASKED AGAIN WHAT HE DID ON THE DAY OF THE FLIGHT AND HE SAID " I SWITCHED BETWEEN THEM UNTIL THE ONE SIDE RAN OUT OF FUEL".

THE NEXT MORNING, INSPECTORS FROM THE SAN DIEGO FSDO WENT OVER TO CHECK THE AIRCRAFT. THE FUEL TANKS WERE CHECKED FOR FUEL. THE TANKS WERE DRAINED AND THE RIGHT MAIN TANK HAD ONLY .5 GALLONS AND 4 GALLONS IN THE LEFT MAIN TANK, THE TIP TANKS WERE DRY.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS SERVICED WITH 15 GALLONS ON EACH MAIN TANK, AFTER A COUPLE ATTEMPTS TO PRIME THE ENGINE IT STARTED AND GROUND OPERATIONS WAS FOUND NORMAL. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AND RETURNED TO PALOMAR AIRPORT (CRQ). ALL SYSTEMS OPERATED NORMAL.