- Date
- September 8, 1991, 15:24 local (21:24 UTC)
- Place
- Broomfield, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N16WWPiper PA-24-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910908038819A
- Case key
- 18133
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 and his misjudged fuel consumption calculations which resulted in fuel exhaustion power loss.
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 reported he took off from front range airport, watkins, CO, en route to jeffco airport, Broomfield, CO, a flight duration of approximately 30 minutes, with 12 gallons of fuel on board. While on base leg at jeffco, the engine lost power. While turning onto final approach, the airplane collided with guy wires and crashed. The passenger told the airport operations manager they had 'run out of gas.' Examination disclosed no fuel in the fuel tanks. The fuel system had not been compromised. There were no fuel stains on the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16WW
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-165
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul L. And Eddie E. Whistle
- Registered owner
- Paul L. And Eddie E. Whistle
- Departed
- FTG · Watkins, CO
- Airport
- BJC · Jeffco, runway 29, 9,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 66
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 1,600 total · 150 in this make and model · 42 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 75 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
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 N16WW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.