- Date
- December 27, 2024, 22:45 local (Dec 28, 2024, 04:45 UTC)
- Place
- New Braunfels, TX
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5263WPiper PA-28
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20241227018819A
- Case key
- 199488
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 in-flight fuel planning which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and a subsequent off-field landing on rough terrain.
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
Prior to the flight, the pilot checked the fuel level and noted the airplane contained about 38 gallons of fuel. During the cross-country flight, the pilot switched fuel tanks about every 15 minutes. While on approach about 3 miles from the destination airport with the fuel selector in the left tank position, the engine began to intermittently lose power. With the electric fuel pump on, the pilot pumped the throttle, and the engine temporarily regained full power. The pilot attempted to gain some altitude when the engine lost total power. Unable to make the airport, the pilot conducted an off-field landing, during which the left wing sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left fuel tank was empty, and the right fuel tank contained 8 gallons of fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5263W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-309
- Built
- 1962
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- JWY · Midlothian, TX
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- KBAZ
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 28
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 20, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 118.4 total · 3.5 in this make and model · 50.7 as pilot in command · 16.4 in the last 90 days · 15.3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.83 inHg
- Observed at
- KBAZ
- METAR
- KBAZ 290451Z AUTO 31007KT 10SM CLR 14/04 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP130 T01440039
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 30, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 24.6 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.