- Date
- October 7, 2014, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Glenham, SD
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N300VFPiper PA 31-350
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 13, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20141007019949A
- Case key
- 90228
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 losses of power on both engines due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 3
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
During a repositioning flight, the airplane encountered winds aloft that were higher than forecasted. The pilot reported that 25 minutes into the flight the left engine stopped producing power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot secured the engine and continued towards the closest airport. Approximately 8 to 9 minutes later, the right engine stopped producing power due to fuel exhaustion. During a forced landing to a field, the right wing was substantially damaged. There were no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
During a repositioning flight, the airplane encountered winds aloft that were higher than forecasted. The pilot reported that 25 minutes into the flight the left engine stopped producing power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot secured the engine and continued towards the closest airport. Approximately 8 to 9 minutes later, the right engine stopped producing power due to fuel exhaustion. During a forced landing to a field, the right wing was substantially damaged. There were no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N300VF
- Reported as
- Piper PA 31-350 (350)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-7852050
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 14,861
- Engines
- Lycoming TI0-540 SER, 350 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming TI0-540 SER, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Aircraft Unlimited Inc
- Registered owner
- Aircraft Unlimited Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 15, 2014
- Departed
- KABR · Aberdeen, SD
- Destination
- KMBG · Mobridge, SD
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 14, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 6,481 total · 1,100 in this make and model · 5,229 as pilot in command · 56 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 15 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Observed at
- KMBG, 6 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 10, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 350 KB 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.