- Date
- January 7, 1994, 13:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Vacherie, LA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1063UPiper PA-34-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940107000229A
- Case key
- 18986
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
Was fuel exhaustion engine power loss due to the pilot's failure to refuel. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain available for the forced landing.
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 aircraft lost engine power due to fuel exhaustion in both engines 25 miles southwest of the new orleans VORTAC (msy). The pilot aligned the airplane with a road. When he determined he was landing down wind and the road was coming to an end, he turned towards an open field. During the landing roll the airplane struck a telephone pole and came to rest in a canal. The pilot had made multiple stops along the route of flight and there is no evidence that he refueled at any of the stops.
Factual narrative
On January 7, 1994, at 1330 central standard time, a PA-34-200, N1063U, was substantially damaged near Vacherie, Louisiana during a forced landing. The commercial pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 CFR Part 135 air taxi flight.
According to FAA records the pilot's route of flight was from New Orleans Lakefront Airport (NEW), New Orleans Moisant Field Airport (MSY), Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT), Lake Charles Regional Airport (LCH), Lafayette Regional Airport, and returning to New Orleans Moisant Field Airport. ATC lost radar contact 25 miles southwest of the New Orleans VORTAC (MSY). Evidence indicated the pilot did not refuel at any of the stops.
It was determined from information provided by the FAA, that the aircraft departed LFT for MSY with approximately 15.26 gallons of fuel on board. The manufacturer's specifications established that the aircraft has approximately 5 gallons of unusable fuel.
Performance data provided by the manufacturer concluded the following for the given atmospheric conditions: The aircraft would consume fuel at the rate of 18.14 gallons per hour. For this 45 minute flight the aircraft would have consumed 13.6 gallons of fuel. Usable fuel for the flight was 10.26 gallons.
The pilot reported, that the left engine surged followed by a loss of power. He selected the left cross-feed, and the engine returned to normal operation. He then notified approach control of his fuel status. He further reported that ten minutes later both engines lost power and he declared an emergency. He then aligned the airplane with a road. When he determined he was landing down wind and the road was coming to an end, he turned towards an open field. He also reported that during the landing roll the airplane struck a telephone pole, turned 180 degrees, and came to rest in a canal.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1063U
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-7250049
- Airframe hours
- 5,050
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Air Ryer, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 8, 1993 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- LFT · Lafayette, LA
- Destination
- MSY · New Orleans, LA
- 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
- 25
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,535 total · 90 in this make and model · 1,445 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 72 °F
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 N1063U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.