- Date
- December 18, 2023, 14:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Forney, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N66RCPiper PA-23-250
- Defining event
- Approach: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA - North Texas FSDO
- FAA report
- 20231218022459A
- Case key
- 193540
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 inadequate fuel planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 4
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
The pilot reported that while returning from a 5-hour aerial survey flight, she noticed about a quarter tank of fuel indicated on each fuel gauge and continued the flight toward the destination airport. While on the approach, the pilot noticed that both engines sputtered and both fuel gauges indicated empty. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a highway median, and the airplane impacted guardrails. Both wings, the empennage, and fuselage sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks contained no usable fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N66RC
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-8054046
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 3,329.1
- Engines
- Lycoming TIO-540-C1A, 250 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming TIO-540-C1A, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Pacific Fleet Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Pacific Fleet Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 2, 2023
- Departed
- HQZ · Mesquite, TX
- Destination
- HQZ · Mesquite, TX
- Airport
- HQZ
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 50
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 15, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 872 total · 69 in this make and model · 624 as pilot in command · 82 in the last 90 days · 48 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KHQZ, 3 nm away
- METAR
- KHQZ 182050Z 33010KT 10SM CLR 17/M02 A3025
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 22, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 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.