# NTSB MIA01LA058: Piper PA-24-250, N5887P, Pittsview, AL, January 9, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 9, 2001, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC) - Place: Pittsview, AL - Coordinates: 32.160686, -85.11943 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.1607&lon=-85.1194&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 23, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 50907 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA01LA058 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/50907/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA058 ## Probable cause The failure of the pilot to conduct proper preflight planning, resulting in loss of engine power while in cruise flight due to fuel exhaustion, and the subsequent emergency descent and landing to an open field. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - normal - preflight planning/preparation - improper, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - open field ## Analysis According to the pilot, he had flown the same trip as the accident flight five times previously, except for three differences; (1) on this particular flight, the refuelers did not top off the fuel tanks as requested, (2) following departure, the flight had to return to the departure airport due to inadvertently leaving the right wing fueling door open, and (3) the flight encountered unanticipated strength of head winds. Nine minutes short of destination, the engine stopped operating, and the pilot conducted an emergency landing to a vacant field. The pilot was not injured, a passenger sustained minor injuries, and the aircraft recieved substantial damage. Postcrash examination of the aircraft and it's components revealed no mechanical malfunctions, and the fuel tanks contained no fuel. Postcrash, the pilot stated to the FAA that, "I ran out of gas." ## Factual narrative On January 9, 2001, about 1500 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-24-250, N5887P, registered to a private individual, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed in the vicinity of Pittsview, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage, the private-rated pilot received no injuries, and a passenger received minor injuries. The flight departed Lakeland, Florida, for Auburn, Alabama, at about 1140. According to the pilot, after fueling at Lakeland's Linder Regional Airport, departing for Auburn, and executing an unplanned return to Lakeland to secure a fueling door that was inadvertently left unlatched, he calculated that he still had 3 hours 5 minutes of fuel aboard. He stated he was dissatisfied with the fixed base operator's fueling service because he asked for a full fuel tank top off and they filled his tanks to the in-tank mounted visual tab indicators, only. According to the times provided by the pilot, the aircraft crashed into a field 3 hours 20 minutes after he departed the Lakeland airport. The pilot stated he had flown the identical route five times previously. According to a non-pilot rated passenger, the Miami to Lakeland to Auburn flight was her third trip with the pilot and that particular airplane. This particular trip differed in that they had to return to Lakeland after takeoff due to an unsecured fueling door on the right wing. No fuel was lost overboard as a result of the unsecured door. Once established en route to Auburn, they experienced strong headwinds and turbulence. According to an FAA inspector, the pilot stated to him and to a sergeant on the Russell County, (Alabama) Sheriff's Department that he might have exhausted his fuel supply, and had to force land in a vacant field. When directly queried by the FAA inspector, the pilot stated, "Yes sir, I ran out of gas." Examination of the wreckage revealed no breaching of either 30-gallon wing fuel tank, and neither tank had any fuel visible. Sumping each tank confirmed no fuel was available. There were no fuel residue stains under the wings or trailing the fuel tank caps. A postcrash engine examination revealed no malfunctions or abnormalities. The FAA inspector concluded that fuel starvation, brought on by higher than anticipated head winds appeared to be the major factor in the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5887P](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5887P-2017-02-28), registration cancelled 2017-02-28, S/N 24-972, built 1959 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-24-250 - Registry model: [Piper PA-24-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (registry code 7102404) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (registry code 41532, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 24-972 - Airframe hours: 9000 - Engines: Lycoming O-540-A1A 250 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Matthew W. Tanner - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 1, 2000, 190 hours before - Departed: LAL, Lakeland, FL - Destination: AUO, Auburn, AL ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 21; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review September 1, 1999; seat: left; flight hours: 260 total, 193 in this make and model, 200 as pilot in command, 20 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 330° at 11 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 21 °F - Altimeter: 30.26 inHg - Observed at: LSF, 22 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010109000969A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010109000969A), Jan 9, 2001: Piper PA24250, Pittsview, AL, Substantial damage. (-23) Mr. Tanner stated that he had his fuel tanks topped off at lakeland, Florida. After which he proceeded to head to his final destination which was auburn… ## Other investigations on N5887P (2) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW72DPJ13](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW72DPJ13), Sep 16, 1971: Piper PA-24 (N5887P), Midwest City, OK, substantial damage - [NTSB CHI71FBQ13](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI71FBQ13), Aug 28, 1970: Piper PA-24 (N5887P), Mt.Carmel, IL, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.