# NTSB ERA12CA276: Piper PA-28-151, N43003, Iuka, MS, April 10, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: April 10, 2012, 16:25 local (21:25 UTC) - Place: Iuka, MS - Coordinates: 34.73722, -88.212501 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.7372&lon=-88.2125&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report October 15, 2012 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 83361 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA12CA276 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/83361/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83361 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12CA276 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper preflight planning and inflight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-151, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=7102805), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-151, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=7102805), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-151, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=7102805), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-151, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=7102805), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-151, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=7102805), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-151, 22 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=7102805), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis On the day before the accident, the pilot and passenger flew the airplane 575 miles from their home airport to conduct business. The pilot reported that during that flight he observed a discrepancy with the airplane's fuel quantity indicating gauges but that the gauges seemed to work correctly when he "pushed" on the edge of the instrument panel. After landing, the pilot requested that the airplane be refueled, but when he returned the next day to prepare for the return flight, the fuel tanks had not been filled. The pilot visually observed the fuel quantity in both fuel tanks and estimated that there was sufficient fuel for about 3.5 hours of flying, so he decided to take off and stop for fuel during the return flight. About 2.5 hours and 300 miles into the flight, the plot began searching for an airport where he could land and refuel the airplane. Shortly thereafter, the airplane's engine began losing power, so the pilot switched fuel tanks and diverted to nearest airport, which was about 14 miles away. About 4 miles from the airport, the engine lost all power, and the pilot performed a forced landing in a field. The airplane struck several trees during the landing roll, shearing the wings from the fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane, with the exception of the accuracy of the airplane's fuel gauges. Examination of the wreckage at the accident scene revealed no evidence of any fuel, fuel spillage, fuel leakage, or odor of fuel. ## Factual narrative On the day prior to the accident flight, the pilot and the passenger flew the accident airplane 575 miles from their home airport to conduct business. During that flight the pilot reported that there was a discrepancy with the airplane's fuel quantity indicating gauges, and that they seemed to work correctly when he "pushed" on the edge of the instrument panel. After landing, the pilot had requested that the airplane be serviced with fuel, but when he returned the following day for the return flight, the fuel tanks had not been filled. Prior to departing on the accident flight, the pilot visually observed the fuel quantity in both fuel tanks and assumed that the quantity of fuel was sufficient for about 3.5 hours of flying. About 2.5 hours and 300 miles into the flight, with the airplane's fuel gauges displaying that 10 and 7 gallons remained in the left and right fuel tanks, respectively, the plot began searching for an airport where he could land and refuel the airplane. Shortly thereafter, the airplane's engine began losing power, so the pilot switched fuel tanks and diverted to nearest airport, which was about 14 statute miles away. About 4 miles from the airport, the engine lost all power, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field below. The airplane struck several trees during the landing roll, shearing the wings from the fuselage. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane, with the exception being the accuracy of the airplane's fuel gauges. Examination of the wreckage at the accident scene revealed no evidence of any fuel, fuel spillage, fuel leakage, or odor of fuel. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N43003](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N43003-2017-09-26), registration cancelled 2017-09-26, S/N 28-7415407, built 1974 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-151 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-151](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-151) (registry code 7102805) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28-7415407 - Engines: LYCOMING O-320 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Operator: Siherb Aviation Corp - Registered owner: Siherb Aviation Corp - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: HDC, Hammond, LA - Destination: 3FK, Franklin, IN ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 549 total, 412 in this make and model, 549 as pilot in command, 6 in the last 90 days, 6 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 340° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 7,500 ft broken - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 45 °F - Altimeter: 30.09 inHg - Observed at: CRX, 23 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20120410005989A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120410005989A), Apr 10, 2012: Piper PA-28-151, Iuka, MS, Substantial damage. 04/10/2012 – FSDO received notification of aircraft accident south of Iuka, MS.04/11/2012 – upon arrival on the scene, ASI discovered the aircraft had come to… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 10, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83361. 1.4 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 980 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40366852&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Pilot Statement (item 2, .PDF, 41 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40366295&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Memorandum for Record - Email Correspondence, FAA Inspector (item 3, .PDF, 82 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40367199&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record%20-%20Email%20Correspondence,%20FAA%20Inspector-Master.PDF - Photo 1 - Fuselage From Front (Photo Courtesy of FAA) (item 4, .PDF, 99 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40366296&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20Fuselage%20From%20Front%20(Photo%20Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photo 2 - Fuselage From Aft (Photo Courtesy of FAA) (item 5, .PDF, 97 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40366297&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20-%20Fuselage%20From%20Aft%20(Photo%20Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photo 3 - Left Wing (Photo Courtesy of FAA) (item 6, .PDF, 99 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40366299&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20-%20Left%20Wing%20(Photo%20Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF 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.