- Date
- May 23, 1992, 20:25 local (May 24, 1992, 00:25 UTC)
- Place
- Saxonburg, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N55733Piper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920523016449A
- Case key
- 11799
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 mismanaged the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel starvation and the lost of engine power.
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
When the pilot neared the destination airport, he was unable to locate it. Subsequently the engine lost power. He made a forced landing in field; the landing gear collapsed during the landing. The accident occurred about 5 miles east of the destination airport. The flight duration was about 3.5 hours. The pilot used the hobbs meter to track time. The investigation revealed the hobbs meter was operating about 60% slower than the actual elapsed time. The pilot reported he switched fuel tanks, from right to left, 1.1 hours of hobbs time (estimated 0.67% hour actual) into the flight. The examination revealed virtually no fuel in the fuel lines forward of the firewall. About two ounces of fuel was drained from the carburetor. The fuel selector was positioned to the left tank. There was no fuel found in the left tank; however, the fuel lines from the tank were severed. Eighteen gallons of fuel was drained from the right tank. The engine operated satisfactory during a test run.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55733
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mcguire Afb Aero Club
- Registered owner
- T.M.C. Leasing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- WRI · Mcguire Afb, NJ
- Destination
- BTP · Butler, PA
- Airport
- BTP · Butler Co.
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 126 total · 17 in this make and model · 25 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BTP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.