- Date
- December 12, 1984, 19:52 local (Dec 13, 1984, 00:52 UTC)
- Place
- Miami, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N40790Piper PA-31-350
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 31217
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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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
Plt judged by reference to acft gages that he had 156 gals of fuel remaining when infact only 120 gals of fuel remained. On approach for lndg, while operating on aux tanks, low fuel flow warning light illuminated. Plt switched to main tanks and both engines lost power shortly thereafter while acft was on final approach. Plt did not attempt to regain power by switching back to aux tanks since warning light illumination initiated during aux tank operation. Right main gear collapsed, other gear separated on forced landing short of the runway in rough terrain. Acft manual states low fuel flow warning lights indicate condition of main tanks only. Plt did not understand this to be true regardless of tank selection. Investigation revealed main tanks contained only residual fuel; aux tanks had approx 6 gals each.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40790
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-8152080
- Airframe hours
- 1,509
- Engine
- Lycoming LTI0-540-J2BD, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Southern Express Airways,Inc.
- Registered owner
- Vincent J. Finazzo
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 8, 1984 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- RSW · Fort Myers, FL
- Destination
- MIA · Miami, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MIA · Miami Internationl, runway 12, 9,600 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,600 total · 115 in this make and model · 4,880 as pilot in command · 115 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MIA, 1 nm away