- Date
- November 24, 1991, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Portland, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N24894Piper PA-31-T1040
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 37112
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 excessive fuel pressure during inflight fuel transferring, which resulted in the rupture of the wing tank and subsequent damage to the wing. Also causal to the accident was the inadequate fuel tank vent system and the inaccurate fuel quantity system.
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 airplane was on a ferry flight with an auxiliary fuel tank in the fuselage for increased range. During fuel transfer from the auxiliary tank to the main wing tank, the fuel pressure became excessive and the wing tank ruptured. The pilot said the fuel quantity gauge was inaccurate. The wing tank vent system was not adequate to handle the excessive fuel being supplied by the auxiliary tank. The pilot experienced some flight control difficulty after the rupture, but he managed to land without incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24894
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-T1040 (PA-31-T104)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-T-8275001
- Airframe hours
- 6,161
- Engine
- P&W PT6-11, 500 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Southern Cross Aviation
- Registered owner
- World Jet Aircraft Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · May 1, 1991
- Departed
- EWR · Newark, NJ
- Destination
- BGR · Bangor, ME
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,000 total · 100 in this make and model · 8,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft broken