- Date
- June 19, 2000, 20:00 local (Jun 20, 2000, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Selma, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N32322Piper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report August 21, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000619040469A
- Case key
- 49486
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 preflight planning that resulted in fuel exhaustion and subsequent collision with grapevines during an off airport 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 airplane collided with grapevines during a forced landing following a loss of engine power while in cruise flight. The pilot was in contact with air traffic control just prior to the forced landing and reported he had experienced fuel exhaustion. An examination of the airplane following the accident indicated there was no fuel in the fuel tanks and no evidence of fuel spillage or fuel tank rupture.
Factual narrative
On June 19, 2000, about 2000 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N32322, collided with terrain following a loss of engine power during cruise flight near Selma, California. The private pilot, the owner and operator of the airplane, and his passenger were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage during the forced landing and subsequent impact with grapevines and a fence. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 and was destined for Ontario, California. The pilot did not file a flight plan but was receiving flight following when the engine lost power. The personal cross-country flight had departed from Eugene, Oregon, approximately 1600.
According to the pilot, he was originally going to stop in Merced, California, and found there was no fuel available. He then headed for Visalia, California, and was about 2 miles south of Selma when the engine lost power.
In his report, the pilot stated that the engine quit while he was in cruise flight. He stated he completed the emergency engine restart procedure without success. He then attempted to reach the nearest airport, Selma, and force landed in a vineyard.
At the time of the engine power loss, the pilot was in contact with Fresno TRACON. He reported to the controller that he had exhausted the fuel.
An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration Fresno Flight Standards District Office examined the airplane on June 20, 2000. Upon arrival at the accident site the inspector checked the airplane's fuel tanks. He stated he did not find any fuel in either fuel tank, and that there was no evidence of fuel spillage or fuel tank rupture.
A copy of a fuel receipt indicated that the airplane had been fueled with 37 gallons of 100LL fuel at Eugene, at 1332, on the day of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N32322
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 750504928
- Airframe hours
- 1,724
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bc And Ku Enterprises
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 11, 1999 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- EUG · Eugene, OR
- Destination
- ONT · Ontario, CA
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
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 414 total · 275 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Wind
- 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 190 °F, dew point 142 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAT
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 N32322 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.