- Date
- December 1, 1991, 18:34 local (23:34 UTC)
- Place
- Sandston, VA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5174PPiper PA-24-180
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911201053839A
- Case key
- 11712
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 loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilots selection of unsuitable terrain for the force landing. A factor was the pilot's improper inflight decision.
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 pilots departed with full fuel tanks for their five hour flight. They were given several altitude changes which at times, put them into greater than expected head winds. They also were given one significant off course vector. Later in the flight, they elected to stop short of their destination for fuel. During their ILS approach in IMC conditions. The aircraft ran out of fuel and they crashed into a partially wooded area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5174P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-193
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael Kroll
- Registered owner
- Michael Kroll
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 4, 1991 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- 6B0 · Middlebury, UT
- Destination
- 0AJ · Jacksonville, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- RIC · Richmond Int.
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
- 60
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,807 total · 56 in this make and model · 4,550 as pilot in command · 74 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 80° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RIC, 6 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.
Other investigations on N5174P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.