- Date
- May 12, 1996, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Adelanto, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6844ZPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 20, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960512010309A
- Case key
- 29440
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
fuel exhaustion as a result of an improper preflight inspection and operating with a known malfunctioning fuel gauge.
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
During initial climb at 700 feet above ground level, the tow pilot experienced a total loss of engine power while towing a glider. The pilot released the glider which landed uneventfully. The tow pilot reported that he was unable to return to the departure airstrip, so he made a forced landing on a nearby dirt road. During rollout, the airplane collided with bushes and was substantially damaged. The pilot further indicated his airplane's engine quit because the fuel tank was empty. The pilot reported that the fuel tank gauge had malfunctioned and had a tendency to hang up.
Factual narrative
On May 12, 1996, at 1500 hours Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-25-235, N6844Z, owned and operated by the pilot, experienced a total loss of engine power during initial climb while towing a glider. The tow pilot released the glider, and the glider landed uneventfully. Having insufficient altitude to return to the departure airstrip, the tow pilot made a forced landing on a nearby dirt road. During rollout, the airplane was substantially damaged, and the commercial pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Krey Field, Adelanto, California, at 1455.
According to the pilot, he experienced the engine power loss at 700 feet above ground level. During rollout from the forced landing, the airplane collided with bushes.
The pilot further reported that the "cause of the engine quitting was fuel starvation. The fuel tank was empty." The pilot also indicated that his airplane's fuel tank gauge had malfunctioned and it had a tendency to hang up.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6844Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-2516
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-G1A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John F. Krey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 30, 1995 · 181 hours before
- Departed
- 0CL1
- Airport
- 0CL1 · Krey Field, runway 25, 3,360 × 30 ft
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
- 73
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,716 total · 2,600 in this make and model · 3,400 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.