# NTSB ATL94LA020: Piper PA-28-140, N420FL, Maryville, TN, November 20, 1993 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: November 20, 1993, 01:24 local (06:24 UTC) - Place: Maryville, TN - Coordinates: 35.659667, -84.089202 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.6597&lon=-84.0892&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 17, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 3328 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL94LA020 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/3328/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL94LA020 ## Probable cause THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE INFLIGHT PLANNING, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION PRIOR TO REACHING THE PLANNED DESTINATION. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, descent - normal - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - in-flight planning/decision - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - Forced landing, descent - emergency - In flight collision with object, descent - emergency - object - wire,transmission - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled ## Analysis THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FLYING FROM SANFORD, FL, TO KNOXVILLE, TN. DURING THE DESCENT INTO KNOXVILLE, THE ENGINE QUIT. HE SWITCHED TO THE LEFT TANK (THE RIGHT TANK INDICATED EMPTY) AND WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN FULL POWER. THE ENGINE THEN QUIT AGAIN. WHEN HE ROCKED THE WINGS, THE ENGINE STARTED MOMENTARILY, THEN QUIT AGAIN. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN POWER ON THE ENGINE, HE FORCE LANDED THE AIRPLANE. THE WRECKAGE CAME TO REST ON POWER LINES NEXT TO A ROAD. THE LEFT WING WAS SEVERED FROM THE AIRCRAFT DURING IMPACT. PERSONNEL AT THE SITE FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF SPILLED FUEL. THE FUEL TANKS WERE RUPTURED AND FREE OF FUEL. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE TOOK OFF WITH 50 GALLONS OF FUEL, AND 6 GAL. WAS INDICATED IN THE LEFT TANK WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT DURATION WAS 5.7 HOURS. 75 PERCENT (CRUISE POWER) FUEL CONSUMPTION IS 8.4 GALLONS/HR. ## Factual narrative On November 20, 1993, at 0124 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N420FL, force landed following a reported engine power loss near Maryville, Tennessee. The private pilot was not injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The aircraft was operated by Aviation Training Associates of Sanford, Florida. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. Night, visual meteorological conditions existed at the time, and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight to Knoxville, Tennessee. The flight originated in Sanford, Florida, at 1945 on November 19, 1993. The pilot reported the following: He was descending to land at McGhee-Tyson Airport in Knoxville when the engine quit. He had run extra long on the right fuel tank to keep the left tank as full as possible for landing. He switched to the left tank, but had trouble generating full power. The right tank fuel quantity gauge indicated zero gallons, and the left tank gauge indicated 6 gallons remaining. After rocking the wings, the engine started momentarily, then quit again. Unable to maintain engine power, he force landed the airplane about 3 miles to the east of the McGhee-Tyson Airport. The aircraft came to rest on the edge of a road, on top of downed power lines. The left wing was separated from, and adjacent to, the main wreckage. Personnel from the Blount County Fire Department reported that there was no evidence of spilled fuel at the accident site. A wrecker service operator recovered the wreckage shortly after the accident. He reported that the severed left wing was found about 10 feet from the main wreckage, and the fuel tank was ruptured. There was no fuel inside the tank, and no evidence of fuel spillage on the ground. The right wing was still attached to the fuselage. There was no evidence of fuel in the right fuel tank, and it was ruptured. There was no evidence of spilled fuel under the right wing. The wrecker service operator reported that he smelled no fuel fumes anywhere at the accident site. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the aircraft. According to Federal Aviation Administration records, the aircraft was flown approximately 5.7 hours during the accident flight. The pilot reported that he began the flight with 50 gallons of fuel on board. According to the pilot's operating handbook for this aircraft, the fuel consumption at 75 percent (cruise power) is 8.4 gallons per hour. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N420FL](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N420FL-1994-05-03), registration cancelled 1994-05-03, S/N 287125200 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-140 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (registry code 7102802) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28-7125200 - Airframe hours: 3766 - Engines: LYCOMING O-320-E2A 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Aviation Training Associates - Registered owner: Austin Steele Aviation, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility - Last inspection: Annual, March 24, 1993, 139 hours before - Departed: SFB, SANFORD, FL - Destination: TYS, KNOXVILLE, TN - Flight plan: VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 34; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 222 total, 8 in this make and model, 198 as pilot in command, 8 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 230° at 5 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,100 ft broken - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: TYS, 2 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19931120043979A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19931120043979A), Nov 20, 1993: Piper PA28140, Knoxville, TN, Destroyed. Low on fuel near destination. Engine quit. Hit wires landing on road. Fuel tanks empty. Flew until end fuel range. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.