# NTSB CEN24LA114: Piper PA-28-140, N7586R, Wayside, TX, February 9, 2024

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: February 8, 2024, 21:05 local (Feb 9, 2024, 03:05 UTC)
- Place: Wayside, TX · Open grass field
- Coordinates: 34.807069, -101.69113
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.8071&lon=-101.6911&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - Lubbock FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 193792
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN24LA114
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193792/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193792
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA114

## Probable cause

The student pilot’s improper fuel management during the cross-country flight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

## 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: [Piper PA-28-140, 32 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=7102802), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md)
- [Use of equip/info: use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-140, 16 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md?model=7102802), [All aircraft, 1,391 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md)
- [Attention/monitoring: monitoring equip/instruments](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021525): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-140, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021525/cases.md?model=7102802), [All aircraft, 142 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021525/cases.md)
- [Object/animal/substance: fence/fence post](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022047): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-140, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022047/cases.md?model=7102802), [All aircraft, 313 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022047/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute-cruise: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-140, 17 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md?model=7102802), [All aircraft, 733 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-140, 56 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=7102802), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-140, 137 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=7102802), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The student pilot was conducting a solo cross-country flight when the airplane had a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. The pilot reported that he switched fuel tanks but was unable to restore engine power before an off-airport forced landing was made in an open field. The airplane’s left wing sustained substantial damage when it struck a metal fence post during the forced landing. According to the student pilot and fueling documentation, the airplane departed on the cross-country flight with a full fuel load (50 gallons) evenly distributed between the wing fuel tanks. The student pilot stated that he switched fuel tanks every 30 minutes during the estimated 2.4 hour flight. However, after the accident, the right fuel tank was found void of usable fuel, and the left fuel tank remained full. A postaccident operational engine test run did not reveal any mechanical anomalies with the engine. It is likely that the student pilot (who did not have a flight instructor endorsement for the solo cross-country flight) mismanaged the fuel during the flight which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N7586R](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7586R), registered now, S/N 28-22153, built 1966 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-140
- Registry model: [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (registry code 7102802) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 28-22153
- Year built: 1966
- Airframe hours: 3922
- Engines: Lycoming O-320-E2A 150 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, January 15, 2023, 17 hours before
- Departed: DUC, Duncan, OK
- Destination: HRX, Hereford, TX
- Equipment: ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Stall warning system

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 50; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review September 21, 2023; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 43.1 total, 37.8 in this make and model, 14.6 as pilot in command

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night
- Wind: 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observed at: HRX, 32 nm away
- METAR: METAR KHRX 090255Z AUTO 24007KT 10SM CLR 07/M07 A2989 RMK AO2 T00731073 TSNO=

## 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 20240208011779A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240208011779A), Feb 8, 2024: Piper PA-28-140, Wayside, TX, Substantial damage. On February 8, 2024, at 2030 CST, a Piper PA-28-140 encountered a hard landing after losing power during cruise flight. The aircraft was being operated on a…

## Other investigations on N7586R (1)

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.

- [NTSB CHI68F0716](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI68F0716), May 7, 1968: Piper PA-28 (N7586R), Westland, MI, substantial damage

## Docket (6 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 11, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193792. 10.0 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 2.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18160241&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=01%20-%20NTSB%20Form%206120_1_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- NTSB record of conversation (student pilot) (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 83 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18160472&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=02%20-%20NTSB%20Record%20of%20Conversation%20(Student%20Pilot)-Rel.pdf
- NTSB record of conversation (FAA inspector jason wilson) (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 85 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18160613&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=03%20-%20NTSB%20Record%20of%20Conversation%20(FAA%20Inspector%20Jason%20Wilson)-Rel.pdf
- Fueling documentation (item 4, PDF, 3 pages, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18160146&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=04%20-%20Fueling%20Documentation_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Airplane maintenance logbooks (excerpts) (item 5, PDF, 5 pages, 4.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18160320&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=05%20-%20Airplane%20Maintenance%20Logbooks%20(Excerpts)_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Investigation photographs (item 6, PDF, 5 pages, 4 photos, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18160623&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=06%20-%20Investigation%20Photographs-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.

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