ATL00LA029

After receiving serious injuries during the accident, the pilot couldn't recall the details of the flight. According to the pilot-rated passenger, fuel was not available at the departure airport. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane lost engine power while on approach to their destination airport. The pilot executed an off-field emergency landing short of runway 18. During an examination of the fuel system, approximately one pint of fuel was recovered from the right outboard fuel tank, and no fuel was recovered from the remaining tanks. The local fire department reported to the FAA inspector that when they arrived on-scene there was no odor of fuel, nor was there any evidence of fuel being spilled from the airplane. An examination of the wreckage failed to disclose any mechanical malfunctions or component failures.

On February 28, 2000, at 1500 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-23-160, N441WA, collided with terrain short of runway 18, at the Titusville Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Florida. The airplane was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot received serious injuries, the passenger received minor injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated from Dunn Air Park in Titusville, Florida, at 1445.

During a telephone interview, the pilot stated that he could not recall the events leading up to the accident including his actions prior to departure. The pilot-rated passenger stated that on February 28, 2000, he flew as a passenger with the pilot from Dunn Air Park, Florida on a VFR flight to Titusville Space Coast Regional with the intention of refueling the airplane for an IFR flight to Jacksonville. He stated that fuel was unavailable at the departure airport because the pumps had been shut down. He stated that he observed the pilot conducting a preflight of the airplane prior to departure. He also stated that he observed the pilot using a checklist inside the cockpit. According to the pilot-rated passenger, the pilot did not complain about any abnormalities prior to departure. He stated that while climbing en-route to Space Coast Regional Airport Titusville, Florida, at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the pilot complained about a loss of engine power. He stated that with Space Coast Regional Airport in sight, he contacted the tower while the pilot struggled for control of the airplane. According to him, he requested a landing on alternate runway 18. The airplane collided with the ground short of the runway.

According to the operator, the airplane just returned from an estimated three and one-half-hour flight before the airplane departed from Dunn Air Park, Florida to Titusville Space Coast Regional, Florida. According to the operator, the airplane holds 72 gallons of fuel in the main tanks of which approximately two gallons are unusable. The fuel burn estimated was 14 gallons per hour, which would give the airplane an endurance of approximately five hours. However, it was not determined whether the airplane had full tanks of fuel prior to departure on the previous flight.

The local fire department reported to the FAA inspector that when they arrived on-scene there was no odor of fuel, nor was there any evidence of fuel being spilled from the airplane. During an examination of the fuel system, approximately one pint of fuel was recovered from the right outboard fuel tank, and no fuel was recovered from the remaining tanks. Fuel lines and fittings forward of the engine firewalls were loosened, removed, and no fuel was found for either engine. An examination of the wreckage failed to disclose any mechanical malfunctions or component failures.