- Date
- April 17, 2011, 13:20 local (18:20 UTC)
- Place
- San Angelo, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2120JPiper PA-28-161
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110417009919A
- Case key
- 79312
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's improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Findings · 1
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 a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot reported that the flight experienced a loss of engine power during the second leg of the cross-country flight. The pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing the airplane's right flap was damaged and the right wing spar was bent. The FAA inspector attributed the loss of engine power to fuel starvation. The left fuel tank had 17 gallons of fuel and the right tank was empty. The FAA inspector confirmed that there were no mechanical anomalies or failures with the airplane, engine, or related systems prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the accident pilot reported that the flight experienced a loss of engine power during the second leg of the cross-country flight. The pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing the airplane's right flap was damaged and the right wing spar was bent. The FAA inspector attributed the loss of engine power to fuel starvation. The left fuel tank had 17 gallons of fuel and the right tank was empty. The FAA inspector confirmed that there were no mechanical anomalies or failures with the airplane, engine, or related systems prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2120J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7916198
- Airframe hours
- 4,833
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 21, 2011
- Departed
- KT82 · Fredricksburg, TX
- Destination
- San Angelo, 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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 19, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 93 total · 4 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 17 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- KSJT, 20 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.2 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.
Other investigations on N2120J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.