# Incident 20230824014379I: Piper PA-30, Visalia, CA, August 24, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 24, 2023, 16:48 local time
- Place: Visalia, CA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.3302° N, 119.2921° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Visalia, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.3302&lon=-119.2921&mi=10
- Aircraft: N30JX, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N30JX) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-30 (registry code 7103002, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (registry code 41907, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-b1a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-30
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-320-B1A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 16,234 total, 50 in this make and model, 58 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230824014379I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE PILOT FAILED TO DETERMINE IF THE FUEL ON THE AIRPLANE WAS ADEQUATE IN VIOLATION OF 91.151(A)(1).

THE PILOT’S DAY STARTED AT 04:30 AND INCLUDED TWO FLIGHTS IN DIFFERENT AIRPLANES.   THE FIRST FLIGHT WAS IN A TWIN ENGINE TURBOPROP DEPARTING KFAT IN THE MORNING AND ENDED AT KFAT AT 16:00 AFTER A FLIGHT TO ARIZONA.  THE SECOND FLIGHT WAS A 15-MINUTE REPOSITIONING FLIGHT IN A PISTON-TWIN AIRPLANE BEGINNING AT KFAT, AFTER RETURNING FROM THE FIRST FLIGHT.  THE PILOT TRAVELED ON A BUS ONE-WAY FROM KVIS TO KFAT EARLY IN THE MORNING SO HE COULD FLY THE PISTON AIRPLANE HOME.  FLYING THE AIRPLANE HOME WAS NOT A NORMAL EVENT, AND WAS VIEWED AS A CONVENIENCE OVER DRIVING ROUND TRIP FROM KVIS TO KFAT.  THE PISTON TWIN HAD JUST BEEN PURCHASED AND WAS AT A MAINTENANCE FACILITY FOR PRE-BUY REPAIRS AND INSPECTIONS.

DURING THE SECOND FLIGHT THE AIRPLANE’S RIGHT ENGINE RAN OUT OF FUEL ABOUT 2.5 MILES FROM KVIS AT 700 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND.  THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT MAINTAINING ALTITUDE ON ONE ENGINE, AND HE DECIDED TO LAND IN THE FIELD TO THE WEST OF THE RUNWAY TO PREVENT HITTING CARS AND BUILDINGS AROUND THE AIRPORT.  THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHEN HE ARRIVED AT KFAT FOR THE FIRST FLIGHT, HE DECIDED TO INSPECT THE PISTON-TWIN AIRPLANE BEFORE FLYING THE TURBOPROP.  THE PILOT SPOKE WITH THE MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD BE “READY TO GO AT 16:00.”

WHEN THE PILOT RETURNED FROM THE FIRST FLIGHT AT 16:00 THE MECHANIC TOLD THE PILOT A “RUN UP WAS COMPLETED” ON THE PISTON-TWIN AIRPLANE.

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL GAUGE OF THE PISTON-TWIN AIRPLANE INDICATED ¼ AND THE LEFT INDICATED ½.  THE PILOT SAID THAT HE COMPARED THE FUEL INDICATIONS TO THE TURBOPROP HE JUST FLEW, AND “IF THIS WAS THE TURBOPROP THE GAUGES WERE INDICATING ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE 15-MINUTE FLIGHT.”

THE ROOT CAUSE OF RUNNING OUT OF FUEL IN THE PISTON-TWIN WAS THE PILOT NOT TAKING THE TIME TO REFER TO THE PILOT’S OPERATING HANDBOOK REGARDING FUEL BURN AND QUANTITY OF THE PISTON TWIN AIRPLANE.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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