What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
March 6, 2023, flightprivacy data omitted
Pilot privacy data omitted passenger privacy data omitted
Purpose of the flight to attend privacy data omitted meeting.
The center tank was filled at denton by adding 176 gallons equal to 1173 lbs. The leg to plainview, TX (kpvw) was routine with flight time 1:12 fuel burn 812 lbs. And fuel on gauge 980 lbs.
Rocket aviation (FBO) topped off all tanks with 286 gallons equal to 1906 lbs. Plus the fuel on board at landing brought the total top off fuel to 3200 lbs. Of fuel. Fuel ticket attached.
The first hour was flown at 10 thousand ft burning 630 lbs. Of fuel per hour. The remainder was flown at 12 thousand ft burning 570 lbs. /hr. For approx..2:15. The total fuel burn thru the engines was 2043 lbs. On the fuel flow totalizer. As we passed kifp I noticed the runway lights were on and clearly visible.
We tracked the guile.NTENDO1 arrival and received clearance to a lower altitude. We both noted a low fuel annunciation which was a totally unexpected event. This should indicate about 30 minutes of fuel remaining. I began estimating the time to khnd and considered an immediate descent to kifp. Within 2 minutes first the left then the right engine shut down. I started an immediate left turn toward kifp and asked las vegas approach for the nearest airport. Approach advised search light 1L3 was the nearest airport and gave a 7 mile range and bearing. The local time was approximately 1943. Sky conditions clear no moon, no horizon, no terrain features visible, and landing south at khnd.
Unable to see any lights at 1L3 I made the decision to proceed to kifp. Runway lights were clearly visible (later learned fire department was making a perimeter check and lights are pilot controlled) and set up a glide towards the lights. To get maximum glide distance feathered both engines. About this stage checked fuel gauge and it indicated about 800 lbs.
Using a technique of location of light in the windscreen I adjusted the airspeed to reach the runway. Considered a restart on left engine but fuel pressure was nil and elected to continue to concentrate on the glide control.
Continued in this mode until about 2000 feet above the runway when the runway lights turned off. There were some lights visible on the terminal building and adjacent ramp, but the runways were not visible or outlined. I had not lowered the landing lights expecting to reference off the runway lights. I considered lowering the lights, but they may not fully extend in time to help and felt concentrating on proper attitude to be the priority. When I heard the 500 ft. alert, I lowered the gear.
The only visual reference was the light on the terminal. First ground contact was on main gear even with the approach over run of the runway 16 about 50 to 75 to the left midway between the runway and the taxiway. I do not remember feeling that contact. We were about 100 feet short of the hold short zone of the taxiway A1 where a 4-TO-5-foot berm or elevation change occurred. This was the most violent acceleration. We touched again about halfway across the taxiway and stayed in the drainage ditch with a uniform deceleration till stopped a short distance from the VASI lights.
privacy data omittedRequired assistance to egress. Er evaluation indicated no injury requiring hospital treatment. She had a superficial hematoma on the forehead, no intracranial injury (normal CT head) and a contusion knee (x-ray normal). We both used a 4-point harness.
I had no visible injury.
privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
MARCH 6, 2023, FLIGHT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT TO ATTEND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MEETING.
THE CENTER TANK WAS FILLED AT DENTON BY ADDING 176 GALLONS EQUAL TO 1173 LBS. THE LEG TO PLAINVIEW, TX (KPVW) WAS ROUTINE WITH FLIGHT TIME 1:12 FUEL BURN 812 LBS. AND FUEL ON GAUGE 980 LBS.
ROCKET AVIATION (FBO) TOPPED OFF ALL TANKS WITH 286 GALLONS EQUAL TO 1906 LBS. PLUS THE FUEL ON BOARD AT LANDING BROUGHT THE TOTAL TOP OFF FUEL TO 3200 LBS. OF FUEL. FUEL TICKET ATTACHED.
THE FIRST HOUR WAS FLOWN AT 10 THOUSAND FT BURNING 630 LBS. OF FUEL PER HOUR. THE REMAINDER WAS FLOWN AT 12 THOUSAND FT BURNING 570 LBS. /HR. FOR APPROX..2:15. THE TOTAL FUEL BURN THRU THE ENGINES WAS 2043 LBS. ON THE FUEL FLOW TOTALIZER. AS WE PASSED KIFP I NOTICED THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE ON AND CLEARLY VISIBLE.
WE TRACKED THE GUILE.NTENDO1 ARRIVAL AND RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO A LOWER ALTITUDE. WE BOTH NOTED A LOW FUEL ANNUNCIATION WHICH WAS A TOTALLY UNEXPECTED EVENT. THIS SHOULD INDICATE ABOUT 30 MINUTES OF FUEL REMAINING. I BEGAN ESTIMATING THE TIME TO KHND AND CONSIDERED AN IMMEDIATE DESCENT TO KIFP. WITHIN 2 MINUTES FIRST THE LEFT THEN THE RIGHT ENGINE SHUT DOWN. I STARTED AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN TOWARD KIFP AND ASKED LAS VEGAS APPROACH FOR THE NEAREST AIRPORT. APPROACH ADVISED SEARCH LIGHT 1L3 WAS THE NEAREST AIRPORT AND GAVE A 7 MILE RANGE AND BEARING. THE LOCAL TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 1943. SKY CONDITIONS CLEAR NO MOON, NO HORIZON, NO TERRAIN FEATURES VISIBLE, AND LANDING SOUTH AT KHND.
UNABLE TO SEE ANY LIGHTS AT 1L3 I MADE THE DECISION TO PROCEED TO KIFP. RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE CLEARLY VISIBLE (LATER LEARNED FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS MAKING A PERIMETER CHECK AND LIGHTS ARE PILOT CONTROLLED) AND SET UP A GLIDE TOWARDS THE LIGHTS. TO GET MAXIMUM GLIDE DISTANCE FEATHERED BOTH ENGINES. ABOUT THIS STAGE CHECKED FUEL GAUGE AND IT INDICATED ABOUT 800 LBS.
USING A TECHNIQUE OF LOCATION OF LIGHT IN THE WINDSCREEN I ADJUSTED THE AIRSPEED TO REACH THE RUNWAY. CONSIDERED A RESTART ON LEFT ENGINE BUT FUEL PRESSURE WAS NIL AND ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO CONCENTRATE ON THE GLIDE CONTROL.
CONTINUED IN THIS MODE UNTIL ABOUT 2000 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY WHEN THE RUNWAY LIGHTS TURNED OFF. THERE WERE SOME LIGHTS VISIBLE ON THE TERMINAL BUILDING AND ADJACENT RAMP, BUT THE RUNWAYS WERE NOT VISIBLE OR OUTLINED. I HAD NOT LOWERED THE LANDING LIGHTS EXPECTING TO REFERENCE OFF THE RUNWAY LIGHTS. I CONSIDERED LOWERING THE LIGHTS, BUT THEY MAY NOT FULLY EXTEND IN TIME TO HELP AND FELT CONCENTRATING ON PROPER ATTITUDE TO BE THE PRIORITY. WHEN I HEARD THE 500 FT. ALERT, I LOWERED THE GEAR.
THE ONLY VISUAL REFERENCE WAS THE LIGHT ON THE TERMINAL. FIRST GROUND CONTACT WAS ON MAIN GEAR EVEN WITH THE APPROACH OVER RUN OF THE RUNWAY 16 ABOUT 50 TO 75 TO THE LEFT MIDWAY BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND THE TAXIWAY. I DO NOT REMEMBER FEELING THAT CONTACT. WE WERE ABOUT 100 FEET SHORT OF THE HOLD SHORT ZONE OF THE TAXIWAY A1 WHERE A 4-TO-5-FOOT BERM OR ELEVATION CHANGE OCCURRED. THIS WAS THE MOST VIOLENT ACCELERATION. WE TOUCHED AGAIN ABOUT HALFWAY ACROSS THE TAXIWAY AND STAYED IN THE DRAINAGE DITCH WITH A UNIFORM DECELERATION TILL STOPPED A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE VASI LIGHTS.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^REQUIRED ASSISTANCE TO EGRESS. ER EVALUATION INDICATED NO INJURY REQUIRING HOSPITAL TREATMENT. SHE HAD A SUPERFICIAL HEMATOMA ON THE FOREHEAD, NO INTRACRANIAL INJURY (NORMAL CT HEAD) AND A CONTUSION KNEE (X-RAY NORMAL). WE BOTH USED A 4-POINT HARNESS.
I HAD NO VISIBLE INJURY.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.