What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 18, 2024, at approximately 05:30 PDT, a Piper navajo (PA31) took off from madera municipal airport (kmae) for a planned five-hour aerial survey over Lemoore, CA. The pilot had confirmed that the aircraft was fully fueled, which was expected to support roughly five hours and 45 minutes of flight time. The plan was to return to madera municipal airport around 10:30 PDT.
Shortly after departure, the pilot switched to the outboard fuel tanks and set a timer for one hour and fifty minutes to remind them to switch to the inboard tanks. When the timer went off, they changed to the inboard tanks and set a new timer for two hours. During the flight, they noticed higher fuel consumption due to the increased power required to cross the mountains.
When the two-hour timer rang, the inboard fuel gauges showed about half full. They continued flying for an additional ten minutes each on two more survey lines. After these lines, they observed that the fuel levels were lower than expected: the left tank indicated one-quarter full, while the right tank was below half full. Concerned, they decided to terminate the mission early and return to madera municipal airport.
They switched back to the outboard tanks, setting a five-minute timer to deplete them first and preserve the remaining fuel in the inboard tanks. However, the engines began to sputter, so they switched back to the inboard tanks and decided to divert to Lemoore naval air station (knlc), the closest airport.
The pilot noted that the fuel indicators showed just under a quarter tank but realized that these readings could no longer be relied upon for accurate flight time estimates. They contacted Lemoore’s air traffic control, declared a fuel emergency, and requested to land on runway 14. While awaiting clearance, the engines sputtered and eventually shut down. The tower confirmed the emergency and instructed them to land on runway 14R.
As they approached the runway, they noticed people and objects on it, as it was closed for maintenance. Attempting to redirect to an alternate runway, they found themselves without sufficient altitude to complete the maneuver, leading them to land the aircraft in the grass, approximately 1,000 feet short of the runway, and roll through a security fence. Both the pilot and the passenger sustained minor injuries, and the aircraft was significantly damaged.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 18, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 05:30 PDT, A PIPER NAVAJO (PA31) TOOK OFF FROM MADERA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KMAE) FOR A PLANNED FIVE-HOUR AERIAL SURVEY OVER LEMOORE, CA. THE PILOT HAD CONFIRMED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FULLY FUELED, WHICH WAS EXPECTED TO SUPPORT ROUGHLY FIVE HOURS AND 45 MINUTES OF FLIGHT TIME. THE PLAN WAS TO RETURN TO MADERA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AROUND 10:30 PDT.
SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PILOT SWITCHED TO THE OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS AND SET A TIMER FOR ONE HOUR AND FIFTY MINUTES TO REMIND THEM TO SWITCH TO THE INBOARD TANKS. WHEN THE TIMER WENT OFF, THEY CHANGED TO THE INBOARD TANKS AND SET A NEW TIMER FOR TWO HOURS. DURING THE FLIGHT, THEY NOTICED HIGHER FUEL CONSUMPTION DUE TO THE INCREASED POWER REQUIRED TO CROSS THE MOUNTAINS.
WHEN THE TWO-HOUR TIMER RANG, THE INBOARD FUEL GAUGES SHOWED ABOUT HALF FULL. THEY CONTINUED FLYING FOR AN ADDITIONAL TEN MINUTES EACH ON TWO MORE SURVEY LINES. AFTER THESE LINES, THEY OBSERVED THAT THE FUEL LEVELS WERE LOWER THAN EXPECTED: THE LEFT TANK INDICATED ONE-QUARTER FULL, WHILE THE RIGHT TANK WAS BELOW HALF FULL. CONCERNED, THEY DECIDED TO TERMINATE THE MISSION EARLY AND RETURN TO MADERA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.
THEY SWITCHED BACK TO THE OUTBOARD TANKS, SETTING A FIVE-MINUTE TIMER TO DEPLETE THEM FIRST AND PRESERVE THE REMAINING FUEL IN THE INBOARD TANKS. HOWEVER, THE ENGINES BEGAN TO SPUTTER, SO THEY SWITCHED BACK TO THE INBOARD TANKS AND DECIDED TO DIVERT TO LEMOORE NAVAL AIR STATION (KNLC), THE CLOSEST AIRPORT.
THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE FUEL INDICATORS SHOWED JUST UNDER A QUARTER TANK BUT REALIZED THAT THESE READINGS COULD NO LONGER BE RELIED UPON FOR ACCURATE FLIGHT TIME ESTIMATES. THEY CONTACTED LEMOORE’S AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, DECLARED A FUEL EMERGENCY, AND REQUESTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 14. WHILE AWAITING CLEARANCE, THE ENGINES SPUTTERED AND EVENTUALLY SHUT DOWN. THE TOWER CONFIRMED THE EMERGENCY AND INSTRUCTED THEM TO LAND ON RUNWAY 14R.
AS THEY APPROACHED THE RUNWAY, THEY NOTICED PEOPLE AND OBJECTS ON IT, AS IT WAS CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE. ATTEMPTING TO REDIRECT TO AN ALTERNATE RUNWAY, THEY FOUND THEMSELVES WITHOUT SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO COMPLETE THE MANEUVER, LEADING THEM TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT IN THE GRASS, APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, AND ROLL THROUGH A SECURITY FENCE. BOTH THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED.