- Date
- June 29, 2019, 14:55 local (18:55 UTC)
- Place
- Brunswick, GA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8294PPiper PA24
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190629008559A
- Case key
- 99751
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 failure to properly lean the fuel mixture in flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, a subsequent total loss of engine power, and a forced landing with the landing gear retracted.
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, during the flight, he forgot to lean the fuel mixture, which led to the airplane burning about 20 gallons per hour (gph) rather than the 15 gph he had used during his flight planning. The pilot decided to land and refuel at the next airport, but the engine lost power. He tried to restart the engine to no avail and then landed in a marsh with the landing gear retracted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. 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 during the flight, he forgot to lean the mixture, and the airplane burned closer to 20 gallons per hour, rather than the 15 gallons per hour he had flight planned. The pilot decided to land and refuel at the next airport, but the engine lost power. He tried to restart the engine but was unable and landed with the landing gear retracted in a marsh. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8294P
- Reported as
- Piper PA24 (250)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-3547
- Built
- 1963
- Airframe hours
- 5,249.2
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Claene Corp
- Registered owner
- Claene Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 21, 2019
- Departed
- LL22 · Downers Grove, IL
- Destination
- SSI · St Simons Island, GA
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 24, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 189 total · 46 in this make and model · 68 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KBQK, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 7, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.7 MB in all.
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 N8294P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.