- Date
- January 27, 1993, 15:40 local (21:40 UTC)
- Place
- Buffalo, MO
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5322PPiper PA-24
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930127001119A
- Case key
- 15656
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 failure to refuel the airplane prior to fuel exhaustion.
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 was enroute from pontiac, Michigan to springfield, Missouri. Approximately 30 NM northeast of springfield he radioed to springfield approach he had engine problems and wanted directions to the nearest airport. He was given a vector to the Buffalo airport. The airplane struck trees and crashed about 1/2 mile short of the airport. Post accident inspection revealed no fuel in the fuel tanks, gascolator, or on the ground around the fuel tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5322P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-365
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1A, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lee, Albert E.
- Registered owner
- Lee, Albert E.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 10, 1992 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- PTK · Pontiac, MI
- Destination
- SGF · Springfield, MO
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,666 total · 96 in this make and model · 1,609 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SGF, 27 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.