- Date
- May 1, 1991, 00:05 local (05:05 UTC)
- Place
- Longview, TX
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N29049Piper PA-28
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report July 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910501023919A
- Case key
- 23328
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
Fuel exhaustion resulting in a complete power loss due to the pic/cfi's failure to refuel at intermediate destinations.
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 instructional round-robin IFR flight had cancelled IFR on its final leg. The pilot-in-command instructor exchanged seats with the rated passenger pilot occupying the right rear seat. After 3.5 hours elapsed time the rated pilot under instruction became the PIC and continued simulated instrument flying with the rated passenger acting as safety pilot. The fuel planning had been conducted by both pilot's. the engine failed due to fuel exhaustion and during the forced landing the airplane collided with a cow. Total flight time was 4.3 hours. During the round robin, the flight landed at corsicana, Texas, but no fuel was purchased. In the vicinity of texarkana, Texas, the fuel gauges indicated about 5 gallons apiece as the flight initiated tis final leg to its home airport. Fuel exhaustion occurred about 10 miles short.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29049
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7990429
- Airframe hours
- 2,182
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Le Tourneau University
- Registered owner
- Le Tourneau University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 17, 1991 · 95 hours before
- Departed
- CRS · Corsicana, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 21
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 242 total · 61 in this make and model · 99 as pilot in command · 72 in the last 90 days · 36 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.