# NTSB CHI05CA093: Piper PA-32RT-300, N36691, St. Charles, MO, April 8, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: April 8, 2005, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC) - Place: St. Charles, MO - Coordinates: 38.726665, -90.508056 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7267&lon=-90.5081&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 7, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 61345 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI05CA093 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/61345/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI05CA093 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision by his failure to switch fuel tanks which resulted in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power. A factor was the trees. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - in-flight planning/decision - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fuel tank selector position - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - starvation (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - In flight collision with object, emergency descent/landing - object - tree(s) (contributing factor) - In flight collision with terrain/water, emergency landing - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a field after a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that the flight departed with about 36 gallons of fuel in the left tank and 14 gallons of fuel in the right tank. The pilot reported that the engine lost power about four miles from the intended destination airport. The airplane's altitude was 1,500 feet. The pilot executed a forced landing to the only open field in a suburban area. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector was on the right fuel tank. The right fuel tank was empty and the left fuel tank was full. The inspection revealed that the airplane struck trees on its final approach to landing in the field. ## Factual narrative On April 8, 2005, at 1645 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32RT-300, N36691, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a field near St. Charles, Missouri, after a loss of engine power. The pilot was not injured. The CFR Part 91 personal flight departed the Roy Otten Memorial Airfield (3VS), Versailles, Missouri, at 1600, and was en route to Creve Coeur Airport (1H0), St. Louis, Missouri. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that the flight departed 3VS with about 36 gallons of fuel in the left tank and 14 gallons of fuel in the right tank. While approaching 1H0, the pilot contacted the Spirit of St. Louis (SUS) tower to obtain a flight clearance through the SUS class D airspace and for traffic avoidance. The pilot reported that immediately after clearing the class D airspace, the engine lost power. The pilot reported, "At this point I was at 1,500 feet flying over houses and in concentration of finding an emergency landing site and maintaining airspeed control and turning to line up with [the] field, I apparently did not have time to analyze the cause of the power loss." The pilot landed in a field about four miles west of 1H0. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector was on the right fuel tank. The right fuel tank was empty and the left fuel tank was full. The inspection revealed that the airplane struck trees on its final approach to landing in a field located in a suburban area. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N36691](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N36691-2008-05-16), registration cancelled 2008-05-16, S/N 32R-7885202, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-32RT-300 - Registry model: [Piper PA-32RT-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32rt-300) (registry code 7103215) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TI0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (registry code 41533, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 32R-7885202 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Keri Evans - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: 3V5, Versales, MO - Destination: 1H0, Creve Coeur, MO - Airport: 1H0, Creve Coeur Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 43; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2; flight hours: 693 total, 418 in this make and model, 35 in the last 90 days, 21 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day ## 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 20050408006449A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050408006449A), Apr 8, 2005: Piper PA32RT300, St. Charles, MO, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot last visually checked fuel at greensfield airport (M71). Pilot estimated "just under 25 gallons in the right and a little over 15 in the left" at… 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.