ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 38758
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| Date: | Monday 2 December 1996 |
| Time: | 22:45 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32-260 |
| Owner/operator: | Airpark Sales And Service, Inc |
| Registration: | N5538J |
| MSN: | 32-1002 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3077 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-540-E4B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Felton, PA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Scranton, PA (KAVP) |
| Leonardtown, MD | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot departed the round trip cross country flight with a total of 50 gallons of fuel. The first flight was 2 hours and 15 minutes. Prior to the return night flight, the pilot elected not to refuel the airplane. The airplane was one hour into the return flight, 70 nautical miles from the departure point, and 90 miles from the final destination, when the engine lost total power. The pilot then performed a forced landing, during which the airplane impacted trees. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of preimpact failures with the airplane. A few tablespoons of fuel was observed in the carburetor gascolator. Both main fuel tanks had ruptured and were absent of fuel. There was no evidence of a fuel spill in the vicinity of the wreckage. The last refueling facility was tested and found free from contamination. The fuel burn was calculated to be 14 gallons per hour allowing a total flight endurance of 3.5 hours with no reserve. The airplane was operated for 3.3 hours prior to losing total engine power.
Probable Cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation, and his failure to refuel which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent collision with trees during the forced landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB NYC97FA025
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Apr-2024 17:47 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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