- Date
- June 22, 1990, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Newport News, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8337PPiper PA-24-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900622022299A
- Case key
- 11603
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
Fuel exhaustion caused by pilot misjudging the fuel supply. Contributing to the accident was inaccurate fuel gages.
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 plt and CFI were on a training flight when the engine lost power three times during the flight. After the first two times that power loss occurred, the plt was able to restore power to the engine after he switched fuel tanks. The plt tried unsuccessfully to restart the engine after the engine lost power the third time. The plt and CFI stated that the fuel gages indicated adequate fuel in the tanks. The plt visually checked the fuel before takeoff, and he estimated there was about 30 gallons of fuel in the tanks. The flight duration was about 45 minutes. Post-crash examination of the acft revealed the fuel tanks were empty.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8337P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 243592
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1A5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gary C. Cole
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- PHF
- Airport
- PHF · Patrick Henry Intl
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 333 total · 146 in this make and model · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8337P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.