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20231203020589A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-260 · Millington, TN · December 3, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 3, 2023 · 21:04 local
Place
Millington, TN
Airport
Millington
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7748J
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA24LA054
Reported as
Piper PA-32-260
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
145 total12 in this make and model37 in the last 90 days
N7748JRegistered now · Piper PA-32-260S/N 32-1152 · Built 1969Airframe modelPiper PA-32-260Engine modelLycoming 0-540 seriesReciprocating

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 December 3rd approximately 1832 local PA32-260 left kjka gulf shores, Alabama bound to knqa Millington TN. Upon arrival into the memphis area the pilot in command canceled flight following and entered the airport traffic area at knqa. The PIC entered the downwind, base, and final when the engine quit. The PIC moved the fuel selector to the left outboard tank and the engine started for only a few seconds. The aircraft impacted the ground and slid to stop inside airport property. The aircraft touched down 379 feet from the end of the runway 22 and came to rest 284 feet from the end of runway 22. Heading of the aircraft is 200° at location N35.36.72 W089.86.03. The propeller was bent backwards on both tips. Left wing was broke at the inboard spar and aileron cables were still intact. Nose strut was broken and under the engine, left main strut and wheel was broken and under the left wing, right main wheel broken and was in the field behind the aircraft. Throttle and prop controls were full forward, and the mixture was in cut off position. Fuel selector position was in the left-wing tank. Upon further investigation the left inboard tank was empty, and left tip tank was empty. The right tip tank had 13 gallons, and the right inboard tank had 3 gallons remaining fuel. After talking with the iic we determined that the root cause of this accident is fuel mismanagement.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 3RD APPROXIMATELY 1832 LOCAL PA32-260 LEFT KJKA GULF SHORES, ALABAMA BOUND TO KNQA MILLINGTON TN. UPON ARRIVAL INTO THE MEMPHIS AREA THE PILOT IN COMMAND CANCELED FLIGHT FOLLOWING AND ENTERED THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC AREA AT KNQA. THE PIC ENTERED THE DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PIC MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT OUTBOARD TANK AND THE ENGINE STARTED FOR ONLY A FEW SECONDS. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AND SLID TO STOP INSIDE AIRPORT PROPERTY. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN 379 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY 22 AND CAME TO REST 284 FEET FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 22. HEADING OF THE AIRCRAFT IS 200° AT LOCATION N35.36.72 W089.86.03. THE PROPELLER WAS BENT BACKWARDS ON BOTH TIPS. LEFT WING WAS BROKE AT THE INBOARD SPAR AND AILERON CABLES WERE STILL INTACT. NOSE STRUT WAS BROKEN AND UNDER THE ENGINE, LEFT MAIN STRUT AND WHEEL WAS BROKEN AND UNDER THE LEFT WING, RIGHT MAIN WHEEL BROKEN AND WAS IN THE FIELD BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT. THROTTLE AND PROP CONTROLS WERE FULL FORWARD, AND THE MIXTURE WAS IN CUT OFF POSITION. FUEL SELECTOR POSITION WAS IN THE LEFT-WING TANK. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION THE LEFT INBOARD TANK WAS EMPTY, AND LEFT TIP TANK WAS EMPTY. THE RIGHT TIP TANK HAD 13 GALLONS, AND THE RIGHT INBOARD TANK HAD 3 GALLONS REMAINING FUEL. AFTER TALKING WITH THE IIC WE DETERMINED THAT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT IS FUEL MISMANAGEMENT.

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 ERA24LA054Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportMillington, TNThe pilots’ fuel mismanagement during the cross-country flight and incorrect fuel tank selection for the landing approach, which resulted in fuel starvation, a momentary loss of engine power, and collision with terrain short of the runway.Dec 4, 2023 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7748J · 2

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

Incident 19830418018499INormal Cruise · Winston Salem, NCPilot made an emergency landing in a field after experienced loss of engine power. Suspect carburetor ice.Apr 18, 1983 · Minor damageAccident 19810405015379AFinal Approach · Pompano Beach, FLEngine quit on final approach. Investigation indicates improper fuel management. Aircraft crashed short of runway.Apr 5, 1981 · Substantial damage