- Date
- September 19, 2010, 20:45 local (Sep 20, 2010, 01:45 UTC)
- Place
- Carthage, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N333NAPiper PA-28-140
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100919050169A
- Case key
- 77355
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
A total loss of engine power during cruise flight due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot’s improper fuel planning.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, he departed with about 47 gallons of fuel onboard for a 551-nautical mile cross-country flight. About 3 hours and 15 minutes into the flight, the pilot became concerned with the rate of fuel consumption. The pilot stated that he elected to change his destination to obtain fuel and shortly thereafter the left fuel tank was empty. The pilot then switched back to the right fuel tank and looked for a place to conduct an emergency landing. During the approach for a forced landing the engine changed from idle to full power for 10 to 15 seconds before experiencing a complete loss of power. The airplane’s nose dropped and impacted the roof of an unoccupied barn near vertically. During recovery of the airplane, no fuel was found on site or in the airplane’s fuel tanks.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he departed with about 47 gallons of fuel onboard for a 551-nautical mile cross-country flight. About 3-hours and 15-minutes into the flight, the pilot said he was concerned the way the right fuel tank gauge was moving down faster than he’d seen before. He added that, he told Air Traffic Control (ATC) that he needed to change his destination for fuel. Shortly thereafter, he stated that the left tank was out of fuel, so he switched back to the right fuel tank and looked for a place to conduct an emergency landing. During the approach for a forced landing, the engine changed from idle to full power for 10 to 15 seconds, before a complete loss of engine power. The airplane’s nose dropped sharply and the airplane impacted the roof of an unoccupied barn near vertically. During recovery of the airplane, no fuel was found on site or in the airplane’s fuel tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N333NA
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-26714
- Airframe hours
- 3,759
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 8, 2010
- Departed
- KDTS · Destin, FL
- Destination
- KADS · Addison, TX
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
- 47
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 518 total · 414 in this make and model · 471 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 180° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KSHV
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 28, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.