# NTSB MIA96LA234: Piper PA-31-310, N151JP, Wassau Island, GA, September 27, 1996 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 27, 1996, 09:35 local (13:35 UTC) - Place: Wassau Island, GA - Coordinates: 32.010593, -80.849441 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.0106&lon=-80.8494&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 25, 1997 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 38089 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA96LA234 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/38089/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA96LA234 ## Probable cause the pilot's inadequate preflight and planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, maneuvering - aircraft preflight - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fuel supply - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - In flight collision with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - soft ## Analysis The flight was airborne for about 1 hour and 40 minutes, when the pilot reported to Approach Control that the airplane's engines lost power. The pilot stated, 'the right engine quit, shortly thereafter the left engine quit.' ATC gave the pilot vectors to an airport. The pilot said that after getting the airport in sight, 'I thought it [was] too far to make a safe landing,' and elected to land on the beach. In addition, the pilot stated that the 'fuel gauges [were] giving faulty readings.' The pilot did not mention the amount of fuel onboard at the time the engines failed, or if the airplane was serviced with fuel before departure. One of the passengers stated that after the engines failed the pilot 'tried many tricks to get down...switched fuel tanks, pumps on/off etc...to no avail.' When the FAA arrived at the wreckage they found no fuel in the fuel tanks, and none of the fuel tanks had been breached, nor was there any signs of fuel leakage. ## Factual narrative On September 27, 1996, about 0935 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31-310, N151JP, registered to a private owner, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91, personal flight, crashed in the vicinity of Wassau Island, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airline transport pilot, and two passengers were not injured. The flight had departed Sarasota, Florida, at 0750, en route to Hilton Head, South Carolina, when the pilot reported to Savannah Approach Control that the airplane's engines had lost power. The pilot stated that about 25 to 30 miles southeast of Savannah "the right engine quit, shortly thereafter the left engine quit." ATC gave the pilot vectors to Hunter Field, however the pilot said, after getting the airport in sight, "I thought it [was] too far to make a safe landing," and elected to land on the beach. In addition, the pilot stated on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, that the "fuel gauges [were] giving faulty readings." The pilot did not fill out the block on the form pertaining to fuel onboard at the time of takeoff or did he mention weather or not the airplane was serviced with fuel before departure. One of the passengers stated that after the engines failed the pilot "tried many tricks to get down...switched fuel tanks, pumps on/off etc...to no avail." When the FAA arrived at the wreckage they found no fuel in the fuel tanks, and none of the fuel tanks had been breached, nor was there any signs of fuel leakage. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N151JP](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N151JP-1997-06-23), registration cancelled 1997-06-23, S/N 317812112 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-31-310 - Registry model: [Piper PA-31-310](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-310) (registry code 7103102) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 317812112 - Airframe hours: 8926 - Engines: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD 350 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Coastal Aviation Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 1, 1996, 48 hours before - Departed: SRQ, SARASOTA, FL - Destination: 49J, HILTON HEAD, SC ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 20,000 total, 100 in this make and model, 15,000 as pilot in command, 300 in the last 90 days, 75 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 225° at 5 knots - Visibility: 6 statute miles ## 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 19960927030189A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960927030189A), Sep 27, 1996: Piper PA31310, Tybee Island, GA, Substantial damage. Pilot said aircraft lost power, made an emergency gear up landing. 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.