- Date
- March 10, 1992, 14:05 local (19:05 UTC)
- Place
- Falmouth, KY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2460CPiper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 37123
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 failure of the pilot to adequately monitor his fuel consumption which resulted in a power loss from fuel exhaustion over unsuitable terrain. A factor related to the accident was the failure of the pilot to adequately determine the amount of fuel onboard prior to departure.
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 experienced a power loss from fuel exhaustion over unsuitable terrain. When interviewed by telephone, the pilot said he departed with one tank full and the other at 3/4. In his written report he said he was cruising at 75 percent power with the 'intent to fly the engine hard to help it break in properly.' He said he leaned the engine until it was rough and then enriched the mixture until it was smooth. The airplane has 30 gallons usable fuel and was airborne for 3.2 hours. According to the manufacturer, the fuel consumption for best economy is 5.6 gph, and for best power is 6.5 gph. Post accident investigation found no evdience of fuel leakage or excessive fuel consumption.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2460C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-79A0196
- Airframe hours
- 4,393
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2A, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Glenn W. Mccluen, doing business as 8925 Wesley Place Dr
- Registered owner
- Mccluen Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 31, 1992 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- TYS · Knoxville, KY
- Destination
- I69 · Batavia, OH
- Airport
- KYG2 · Gene Snyder, runway 3, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 281 total · 122 in this make and model · 172 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CVG, 24 nm away