- Date
- August 12, 2010, 18:43 local (22:43 UTC)
- Place
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N254ABPiper PA-25-260
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 11, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100812042939A
- Case key
- 76947
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 fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 2
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
According to the pilot, he departed with the airplane's fuel tank full (75 gallons) for the local banner towing flight. He flew for about 3 hours and 30 minutes and then initiated a return to the airport. During the return flight, at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet, the airplane's engine lost power. Just prior to the power loss, while the airplane was in a climb, the pilot noted that the fuel gauge indicated 30 gallons of fuel remained. The pilot released the banner and performed a forced landing on a road. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed approximately 8-10 ounces of fuel remained in the single main fuel tank. The main fuel feed line at the bottom of the fuel tank fuel valve contained a few ounces of fuel. The fuel tank was filled with 30 gallons of fuel to test the accuracy of the fuel gauge, which read 33 gallons of fuel. The engine was test run on the airframe. It started and ran at full power with no anomalies noted. According to the airplane's Operating Handbook, the engine burns an average of 14-16 gallons of fuel per hour, at power settings likely used by the pilot. The fueler who fueled the airplane stated that he filled the airplane to a capacity of 68 gallons of fuel, which is what the pilot specifically requested. The examination revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he departed with full fuel (75 gallons) in the airplane, for the local banner towing flight. He flew for about 3 hours and 30 minutes, and then initiated a return to the airport. During the return flight, at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet, the airplane's engine lost power. Just prior to the power loss, while the airplane was in a climb, the pilot noted that the fuel gauge indicated 30 gallons of fuel remained. The pilot released the banner and performed a forced landing to a road. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation (FAA) inspector revealed approximately 8-10 ounces of fuel in the single main fuel tank. The main fuel feed line at the bottom of the fuel tank fuel valve contained a "few ounces" of fuel. The fuel tank was filled with 30 gallons of fuel to test the accuracy of the fuel gauge, which read 33 gallons of fuel. The engine was test run on the airframe. It started and ran at full power with no anomalies noted. According to the Piper PA-25 Pilot Operating Handbook, the airplane's engine burned an average of 14-16 gallons of fuel per hour, at a power setting of 24 inches of manifold pressure and 2400 RPM. The fueler who fueled the airplane stated he filled the airplane to a capacity of 68 gallons of fuel, which is what the pilot specifically requested.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N254AB
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-7556048
- Airframe hours
- 5,472
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-G1A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner tow · Part 91
- Operator
- Aerial Banners Inc
- Registered owner
- Aerial Banners Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 20, 2010
- Departed
- SPG · St. Petersburg, FL
- Destination
- SPG · St. Petersburg, FL
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 17, 2009
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 488 total · 35 in this make and model · 322 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- SPG, 5 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 16, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.4 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.