- Date
- December 15, 1991, 15:24 local (21:24 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Worth, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6392JPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 18425
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
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain. Factors were the fuel starvation and the tough terrain.
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 daylight local area flight, the private pilot experienced a complete loss of engine power. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left fuel tank was empty and the fuel selector was positioned to the left tank. Further examination revealed that sufficient fuel remained in the right tank to sustain flight until his intended destination. The pilot selected uneven and rough terrain when more suitable areas for landing were available.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6392J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-407
- Airframe hours
- 3,675
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- George M. Grove
- Registered owner
- George M. Grove
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 9, 1991
- Departed
- F54 · Arlington, TX
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 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 85 total · 30 in this make and model · 20 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg