- Date
- February 15, 1984, 12:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Presidio, TX
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 4 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3PNPiper PA-31P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840215003389A
- Case key
- 21257
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
During a x-country flt the plt could not locate a refueling stop and landed 100 miles away. No refueling was accomplished and he decided to go on to his destination with the fuel remaining. Enroute his right engine coughed and herealized he was running out of fuel. After switching to crossfeed normal engine operation was restored. Even though he was only about 3 miles from his destination he decided to land on a 4000 ft dirt agricultural airstrip which he saw directly below him. He forced the acft down and landed downwind at high speed about midway down the rwy. The acft did not stop on the rwy and overran into a dirt bank and a fence. The landing gear was knocked off and the acft became airborne for 700 more ft before impacting and tumbling. The acft came to rest inverted about 825 ft past the dirt bank. A fire developed in the left wing and consumed most of the area in the vicinity of the left fuel tank outboard of the left engine. The plt stated that there were no malfunctions of the acft or systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3PN
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31P-70
- Airframe hours
- 2,014
- Engine
- Lycoming TIGO-541-E1A, 425 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas L. Parker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 1, 1983
- Destination
- TX07 · Precidio, TX
- Airport
- runway 11, 4,000 × 75 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,207 total · 500 in this make and model · 36 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.