- Date
- July 2, 2015, 21:30 local (Jul 3, 2015, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Twin Falls, ID
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8086CPiper PA 18-135
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 91515
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 inadequate fuel inspection during his preflight fuel performance planning task, resulting in fuel exhaustion en route, and an emergency landing and collision with terrain.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while in cruise flight, he exhausted the useable fuel on board the airplane. The pilot made an emergency off airport landing, and the airplane collided with terrain and came to rest in a corn field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot stated that he visually checked the fuel level via the sight gauge during his pre-flight, however he did not physically check the fuel cell. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while in cruise flight, he exhausted the useable fuel on board the airplane. The pilot made an emergency off airport landing, and the airplane collided with terrain and came to rest in a corn field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot stated that he visually checked the fuel level via the sight gauge during his pre-flight, however he did not physically check the fuel cell. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8086C
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18-135 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-3491
- Built
- 1954
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-290 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- GNG · Gooding, ID
- Destination
- KTWF · Twin Falls, ID
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
- 27
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 12, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 960 total · 20 in this make and model · 880 as pilot in command · 350 in the last 90 days · 110 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- TWF, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 27, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 MB in all.