Accident Piper PA-24-260 N8670P, Tuesday 6 September 1988

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Date:	Tuesday 6 September 1988
Time:	13:22 LT
Type:	Piper PA-24-260
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N8670P
MSN:	24-4118
Year of manufacture:	1965
Total airframe hrs:	2385 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming IO-540-D4A5
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Punta Gorda, FL - United States of America
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Gainesville, GA (KGVL)
Destination airport:	Ft. Myers, FL (KFMY)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
THE PLT WAS RETURNING FROM VFR XC FLT DURING WHICH MANY CLIMBS, DESCENTS & DETOURS WERE MADE TO AVOID ADVERSE WX & MAINTAIN VFR. HE STATED THE STRONG HEADWINDS CONSIDERABLY REDUCED HIS GRNDSPEED. AT HIS 1ST INTENDED LDG ARPT, STRONG GUSTY X-WINDS MADE THE APRCH 'SQUIRRELLY' & HE ABANDONED THE ATTEMPT & FLEW TO AN ARPT WITH WIDER RWYS NEARLY ALIGNED WITH THE WIND. AT ABOUT 800 FT TURNING BASE TO FINAL, THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION & THE PLT WAS TOO LOW TO REGAIN ENG POWER. A FORCED LDG WAS ATTEMPTED ON A ROAD, BUT THE ACFT CLIPPED A POWERLINE WHICH THREW THE ACFT OUT OF CONTROL & IT CRASHED INTO A DITCH. THE PLT LATER STATED TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT SUCH AS THIS IN THE FUTURE, HE WOULD PAY MORE POSITIVE ATTENTION TO FUEL CONSUMPTION & QUANTITY OF FUEL REMAINING IN EACH TANK.

Probable Cause:

Accident investigation: