- Date
- May 28, 2013, 16:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- Page, AZ
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N969BDPiper PA-31-350
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130528009719A
- Case key
- 87014
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
A loss of engine power during cruise flight due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper fuel planning.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he and four passengers were about 4.5 hours into the flight and about 10 nm from their destination when the left low boost light illuminated. About 20 seconds later the left engine quit, and the pilot feathered the propeller. After about 1 minute the right low boost light illuminated, and 20 seconds later, the right engine quit. The pilot feathered the right propeller and proceeded to execute a forced landing in the desert 5 miles east of the intended destination. During the accident sequence the right engine separated from the airplane and the left wing buckled, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot reported that the airplane had ran out of fuel, and that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he and four passengers were about 4.5 hours into the flight and about 10 nm from their destination when the left low boost light illuminated. About 20 seconds later the left engine quit, and the pilot feathered the propeller. After about 1 minute the right low boost light illuminated, and 20 seconds later, the right engine quit. The pilot feathered the right propeller and proceeded to execute a forced landing in the desert 5 miles east of the intended destination. During the accident sequence the right engine separated from the airplane and the left wing buckled, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot reported that the airplane had ran out of fuel, and that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N969BD
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-8152109
- Airframe hours
- 8,542
- Engines
- Lycoming TIO-540 SER, 310 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming TIO-540 SER, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sefton Donald H
- Registered owner
- Sefton Donald H
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 23, 2012
- Departed
- KGLE · Gainsville, TX
- Destination
- KPGA · Page, AZ
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KPGA · Page Municipal Airport
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
- 76
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,509 total · 876 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Observed at
- KPGA, 5 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 17, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.