# NTSB CEN25LA060: Piper PA-31-350, N818BR, Victoria, TX, December 11, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: December 11, 2024, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC) - Place: Victoria, TX - Coordinates: 28.853376, -96.970445 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.8534&lon=-96.9704&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 4 minor; on the ground: 1 serious, 3 minor - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 199415 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN25LA060 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/199415/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199415 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA060 ## Probable cause The pilot’s inadequate preflight planning and preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-31-350, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=7103110), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-31-350, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=7103110), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-31-350, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=7103110), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-31-350, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=7103110), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that before the flight the airplane was fueled with 142.4 gallons of 100 low-lead fuel and that the fuel tanks contained 236 total gallons of fuel before takeoff. The local aerial survey flight was flown at 16,500 ft mean sea level (msl) and lasted about 5 hours. At the end of the survey mission and about 10 miles from the destination airport, the pilot noticed low fuel indications, then both engines experienced a total loss of power. The pilot made a right 90° turn away from the airport and selected a service road for a forced landing. During the landing roll the airplane collided with three vehicles on the road. The airplane also collided with a metal traffic light pole, which resulted in a separation of the right wing and aft fuselage. After the accident the pilot stated that the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion. During the airplane wreckage recovery, about 3 gallons of fuel were drained from the left wing tanks and the right wing tanks were empty. The pilot also stated that he did not complete a detailed fuel burn calculation or a weight and balance calculation for the flight. It is likely that the airplane did not contain 236 gallons of fuel before takeoff, and the pilot was unaware of the actual fuel onboard due to inadequate preflight planning and preflight inspection. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N818BR](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N818BR), registered now, S/N 318152102, built 1981 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31-350 - Registry model: [Piper PA-31-350](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (registry code 7103110) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TIO-540-J2B](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-tio-540-j2b) (registry code 41976, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 318152102 - Year built: 1981 - Airframe hours: 20886.3 - Engines: Lycoming LTIO-540-J2B 350 horsepower reciprocating; Lycoming TIO-540-J2B 350 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Aerial observation, Part 91 - Registered owner: Marc Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 24, 2024 - Departed: VCT, Victoria, TX - Airport: VCT, Victoria Rgnl - Equipment: Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 71; injuries: minor; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review September 14, 2023; seat: front; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 7,034 total, 3,000 in this make and model, 6,769 as pilot in command, 35 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days, 7 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 340° at 6 knots, gusting 15 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 19 °F - Altimeter: 30.39 inHg - Observed at: KVCT, 2 nm away - METAR: METAR KVCT 112051Z 34006G15KT 10SM CLR 18/M07 A3039 RMK AO2 SLP289 T01831072 56029= ## 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 20241211020339A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20241211020339A), Dec 11, 2024: Piper PA-31-350, Victoria, TX, Destroyed. Our office received a call from the central roc at approximately 1530 CST on December 11, 2025, notifying us of an aircraft crash on a roadway with injuries in… ## Docket (9 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 21, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199415. 9.9 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 3.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18161899&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20pilot_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record a�� telephone interview, pilot (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 66 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18165592&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20-%20Accident%20Pilot-Rel.pdf - Correspondence - pilot email (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 281 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18165326&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20email_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record a�� FAA inspector (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 70 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18170979&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20-%20FAA-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record a�� telephone interview, recovery company (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 66 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18165281&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20-%20Lonestar%20Retrieval-Rel.pdf - Fuel receipt (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18165168&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Victoria%20Jet%20Center%20(12-11-24)_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Airplane information (item 7, PDF, 8 pages, 680 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18166044&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Airplane%20info_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 8, PDF, 3 pages, 2 photos, 3.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18161970&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Docket%20photos-Rel.pdf - ADS-B flight track (item 9, KML, 157 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18167330&FileExtension=kml&FileName=N818BR-track-EGM96-Rel.kml 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.