- Date
- October 14, 1991, 17:15 local (Oct 15, 1991, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Linden, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6506PPiper PA 24-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911014046119A
- Case key
- 27478
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 in command inaccurately calculating the aircraft's fuel consumption, and not re-fueling the aircraft prior to takeoff from his last departure point. This resulted in a power loss due to fuel exhaustion. A factor in this accident was the unsuitable terrain for landing the airplane.
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 pilot established communications with approach control and stated that he was having 'fuel pressure problems.' He further advised that he had 'minimum fuel.' When the engine lost power, the pilot executed a forced landing to a dirt road. The un-even terrain on the dirt road caused the aircraft to spin during landing roll, which caused substantial damage to the aircraft. An FAA inspector examined the aircraft on-scene. He reported that the aircraft's fuel cells were empty and there was no evidence of broken fuel lines, fuel leakage, nor ruptured fuel cells. In his written statement, the pilot said that he had flown to 4 different locations during the day. He said that he did not re-fuel during the day and that he should have checked the fuel before departing his last location.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6506P
- Reported as
- Piper PA 24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-1628
- Airframe hours
- 3,289
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1A5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Patrick O'Grady
- Registered owner
- Patrick O'Grady
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 20, 1991 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- Q40 · Elk Grove, CA
- Destination
- FCH · Fresno, 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
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,748 total · 27 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °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 N6506P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.