- Date
- January 5, 1982, 09:49 local (15:49 UTC)
- Place
- Lonoke, AR
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5304PPiper PA-24-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 5, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820105000549A
- Case key
- 71479
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 stated that the engine failed at 2000 ft as he was descending for an approach. He switched the fuel selector from the right tank to the left tank, turned on the boost pump, and pumped the throttle but the engine failed to start. The aircraft landed in a sod area next to an interstate highway. The right fuel tank was found empty while the left contained approximately 15 gals of fuel. The pilot stated he observed fuel running out of the right tank onto the pavement. The FAA inspectors could find no fuel stains on the aircraft or roadway and no evidence of a fuel leak. The engine was run during the investigation and no discrepancies were found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5304P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24345
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1AS, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald L. Hicks
- Registered owner
- Donald L. Hicks
- Departed
- LIT · Memphis, TN
- Destination
- MEM · Little Rock, AR
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 522 in this make and model · 10,000 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 115 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LIT, 20 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.
Other investigations on N5304P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.