- Date
- December 11, 1991, 18:27 local (23:27 UTC)
- Place
- Berrien Springs, MI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6919PPiper PA-24-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911211055699A
- Case key
- 15277
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-in-command's (cfi's) poor in-flight planning/decision-making and misjudged fuel supply/consumption. A related factor is overconfidence in personal ability.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot-rated passengers reported the airplane was low on fuel as they neared their destination. They discussed an intermediate fuel stop, but decided they had sufficient fuel to reach their destination. The airplane was in cruise flight approximately 80 miles from the destination airport when the engine lost power. The instructor pilot switched from the right fuel tank to the left tank and the engine restarted. Several minutes later the engine lost power again. Restart attempts were unsuccessful, and the pilot turned towards the nearest airport. The airplane impacted trees about 1 1/2 miles short of the landing runway. Post-accident examination revealed no evidence of useable fuel in the airplane fuel system. The passengers reported it was a dark night, and the airplane hit the trees after turning to avoid an area with residential lights.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6919P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-2053
- Airframe hours
- 2,605
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1A5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Hovious,M.;Vanlinder;Crawford
- Registered owner
- Hovious,M.;Vanlinder;Crawford
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 18, 1991 · 56 hours before
- Departed
- 2MI · Bates City, MO
- Destination
- AZO · Kalamazoo, MI
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
- 56
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 100 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6919P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.