- Date
- July 27, 2013, 17:32 local (Jul 28, 2013, 00:32 UTC)
- Place
- Quilcene, WA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N37JRPiper PA-18-135
- Defining event
- Landing: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130727014529A
- Case key
- 87590
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 due to the pilot's inadequate planning and mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
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 reported that the airplane ran out of fuel about 16 miles from his destination and he executed a forced landing to a nearby private airstrip. During the approach, the airplane was high and fast, resulting in a long landing. In order to avoid going into the trees, he applied heavy braking. The airplane nosed over which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the airplane ran out of fuel about 16 miles from his destination and he executed a forced landing to a nearby private airstrip. During the approach, the airplane was high and fast, resulting in a long landing. In order to avoid going into the trees, he applied heavy braking. The airplane nosed over which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N37JR
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-135
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-3758
- Airframe hours
- 76.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290 SERIES, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ryder Jerry
- Registered owner
- Ryder Jerry
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- K0S9 · Port Townsend, WA
- Destination
- K0S9 · Port Townsend, WA
- Airport
- KOS9 · Jefferson County International
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
- 78
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 450 total · 450 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- K0S9, 19 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 22, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.1 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.