- Date
- January 28, 1987, 17:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Medford, OK
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N76NDPiper PA-31
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 10, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870128001229A
- Case key
- 22318
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 acft experienced a double eng failure as a result of fuel exhaustion during descent to the destination aprt. The plt attempted to divert to a nearby arpt during the descent, but both engs quit before he had the rwy assured. The subsequent attempted forced landing resulted in substantial damage when the left eng restarted during the flare and spun the acft around to the right. The right wing tip struck the ground, yawing the acft on touchdown. All 3 landing gear collapsed as a result of side loads. The plt stated that adverse winds aloft extended the flt and prevented him from arriving at the destination arpt and that when he became aware of the critical fuel state, it was too late.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N76ND
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 317612006
- Airframe hours
- 4,979
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-A2C, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Univ. Of North Dakota
- Registered owner
- University Of North Dakota
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 22, 1987
- Departed
- FAR · Fargo, ND
- Destination
- WDG · Enid, OK
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- OK68 · Medford Municipal
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 23
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 962 total · 6 in this make and model · 780 as pilot in command · 66 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- END, 25 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.