- Date
- September 2, 2001, 12:35 local (16:35 UTC)
- Place
- Warren, VT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7247ZPiper PA-25
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010902023749A
- Case key
- 53164
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's improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
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 stated that the fuel gauge indicated about 1/4 tank full prior to the first of five glider tow flights. During the last flight, the pilot released the glider at 2,500 feet, about 2 1/2 miles from the takeoff airport. He then made a descending, 270-degree left turn. As he rolled the airplane out of the turn, the engine sputtered for a few seconds and stopped. It restarted and ran for a few seconds, then finally stopped. The pilot established the airplane in a 75-mph glide, and turned it directly towards the airport. He cycled the magneto switches, throttle, and mixture controls; however, the engine did not restart. The airplane touched down about 300 yards east of the runway and collided with a paddock fence. No fuel was found in the airplane after the accident.
Factual narrative
On September 2, 2001, about 1235 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-25, N7247Z, was substantially damaged during a forced landing while approaching Warren-Sugarbush Airport (0B7), Warren, Vermont. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the local glider-towing flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, the accident occurred during the last of five glider tow flights. During that flight, he released the glider at 2,500 feet, about 2 1/2 miles from the airport. He then made a descending, 270-degree left turn. As he rolled the airplane out of the turn, the engine sputtered for a few seconds and stopped. It restarted and ran for a few seconds, then finally stopped. The pilot established the airplane in a 75-mph glide, and turned it directly towards the airport. He cycled the magneto switches, throttle, and mixture controls; however, the engine did not restart. The airplane touched down about 300 yards east of the runway, on a heading of 010 degrees. During rollout, the airplane collided with a paddock fence.
The pilot also stated that prior to the first flight, the float-type fuel gauge had indicated approximately 1/4 full. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, no fuel was found in the airplane after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7247Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-3176
- Airframe hours
- 4,873
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Redtail Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 3, 2001 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- 0B7 · Warren, VT
- Airport
- 0B7 · Warren Sugerbush
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 23, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,346 total · 64 in this make and model · 1,272 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- MVL, 25 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.
Other investigations on N7247Z · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.