- Date
- April 21, 1995, 17:02 local (22:02 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9740PPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950421012849A
- Case key
- 19403
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 loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as result of a fuel line connector leak. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain 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 engine lost power while returning from a banner towing flight due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot released his banner and made a forced landing. The subsequent 'flat' landing structurally damaged the wing spars. The pilot later located a fuel leak near the carburetor at a fuel line connecting joint.
Factual narrative
On April 21, 1995, at 1702 central daylight time, a Piper PA-25-235, N9740P, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near San Antonio, Texas. The airline transport rated pilot received minor injuries. The aircraft was being operated by Petra Aviation, under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Geronimo Field near Seguin, Texas, at 1530 CDT. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the banner towing flight and a flight plan was not filed.
During a personal interview with local police and the investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported that he performed an airborne pick up of the banner at the Bill Dean Ranch private grass airstrip near the north end of Randolph Air Force Base. After completing his banner towing flight, he was en route back to the ranch to drop the banner off when he "ran out of fuel." He released the banner and initiated a forced landing, subsequently landing "flat" and structurally damaging both wing spars.
The pilot stated on his enclosed Pilot/Operator report that he "developed a leak in fuel line." In a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge he stated that "a fuel leak was found near the carburetor at a connecting joint."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9740P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-7556051
- Engine
- Lycoming O-650-A1B2, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Phillip L. Leach, doing business as Petra Aviation
- Registered owner
- Buchannan & Briden Enterprises
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 10, 1995
- Departed
- T90 · Seguin, TX
- Destination
- T90
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
- 33
- Certificates
- Private, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 7,200 total · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SAT, 12 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.