- Date
- January 1, 2006, 18:36 local (Jan 2, 2006, 00:36 UTC)
- Place
- Phenix City, AL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4370PPiper PA-23-160
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report March 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Birmingham FSDO-09
- FAA report
- 20060101000839A
- Case key
- 63041
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate decision to continue VFR flight into IMC conditions, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The private pilot was on a visual flight rules cross country flight when he began encountering instrument conditions. The pilot continued into the instrument conditions for about 30 minutes before asking Atlanta Approach Control for directions to the nearest airport for landing. The controller directed the pilot to two different nearby airports but both were below minimums. The pilot informed the controller that he was low on fuel and needed to land as soon as possible. The controller directed the pilot to the Columbus Metropolitan Airport, Columbus, Georgia. The pilot told the controllers that he would attempt an Instrument approach. The pilot attempted four unsuccessful approaches with the controllers talking him through each approach. On the fifth approach, at five miles from the runway the pilot stated that both engine's quit due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot called "mayday" and during the forced landing the airplane collided with trees and the ground separating the right wing, half of the left wing, and coming to rest inverted. The pilot did not report any mechanical deficiencies with the airplane during the attempted approaches.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was on a visual flight rules cross country flight when he began encountering instrument conditions. The pilot continued into the instrument conditions for about 30 minutes before asking Atlanta Approach Control for directions to the nearest airport for landing. The controller directed the pilot to two different nearby airports but both were below minimums. The pilot informed the controller that he was low on fuel and needed to land as soon as possible. The controller directed the pilot to the Columbus Metropolitan Airport, Columbus, Georgia. The pilot told the controllers that he would attempt an instrument approach. The pilot attempted four unsuccessful approach's with the controllers talking him through each approach. On the fifth approach, at five miles from the runway the pilot stated that both engine's quit due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot called "mayday" and during the forced landing the airplane collided with trees and the ground separating the right wing, half of the left wing, and coming to rest inverted. The pilot did not report any mechanical deficiencies with the airplane during the attempted approach's.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4370P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-1871
- Airframe hours
- 4,071
- Engines
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Roy T. Dawes
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2005
- Departed
- BKV · Brooksville, FL
- Destination
- WDR · Winder Barrow, GA
- Airport
- runway 5, 6,998 × 150 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 600 total · 600 in this make and model · 600 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 70° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 1.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- CSG, 5 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.