# NTSB CEN20CA274: Piper PA32, N22111, Springfield, OH, July 11, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: July 11, 2020, 00:02 local (04:02 UTC) - Place: Springfield, OH - Coordinates: 39.854721, -83.816108 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8547&lon=-83.8161&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 101578 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN20CA274 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101578/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101578 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20CA274 ## Probable cause The pilot’s inadequate inflight planning that resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: identification/recognition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 559 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510/cases.md) - [Convective weather: thunderstorm](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03033010): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Decision related to condition; cases with it: [All aircraft, 100 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03033010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) ## Analysis While en route to the destination airport, the airplane’s engine lost power. The pilot switched fuel tanks and was able to restore engine power but the engine lost power a second time. The pilot was unable to glide the airplane to the runway and the airplane collided with trees short of the runway. The left wing separated from the fuselage and the right outboard fuel tank separated from the wing resulting in substantial damage. A review of the pilot’s preflight fuel calculations found that the pilot estimated that the airplane had 70 gallons of fuel onboard for the flight. Using an electronic flight bag, the pilot calculated the direct route of flight would be 430 nautical miles (nm), last an estimated 3 hours and 17 minutes, and require about 50 gallons of fuel, assuming 15 gallons per hour as stated in the pilot operating handbook. After departure, the flight required several course deviations and altitude deviations due to weather, which resulted in the flight lasting over an hour longer than planned. The altitude deviations required additional fuel burn that was not included in the calculations. While in flight, the pilot considered his fuel remaining about 170 nm from his intended destination, but estimated he had enough fuel to make his destination. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operations. ## Aircraft - Registration: N22111 (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Piper PA32 (300) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 32-7840190 - Year built: 1978 - Airframe hours: 2916.8 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Private Individual - Registered owner: Macearlray Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, February 18, 2020, 85.4 hours before - Departed: 26N, Ocean City, NJ - Destination: SGH, Springfield, OH - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: SGH, Springfield-Beckley Muni, runway 24, 9,010 × 150 ft, asphalt - Equipment: ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Onboard weather, Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 228.5 total, 105.5 in this make and model, 142.6 as pilot in command, 75.6 in the last 90 days, 36.9 in the last 30 days, 8.7 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 250° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 29.85 inHg - Observed at: KSGH, 2 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20200711010969A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200711010969A), Jul 11, 2020: Piper PA-32-300, Springfield, OH, Substantial damage. On July 11, 2020, at approximately 12:05 a.m. eastern daylight time (0405 zulu), Piper PA32-30 cherokee 6, N22111 collided with trees and a fence located at… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 23, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101578. 1.0 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 12 pages, 772 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11506093&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20Operator%20Accident%20Report%20Form%206120%20-%20CEN20CA274_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Flightaware (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 1 photo, 186 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11506415&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Flightaware%20w%20wx-Rel.pdf - Case notes (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 55 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11505909&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Case%20Notes%20CA274-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.