ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 287099
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| Date: | Monday 23 March 2009 |
| Time: | 17:00 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-181 |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | N1857H |
| MSN: | 28-7790348 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1977 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 10751 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O360 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Firebaugh, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Palm Springs International Airport, CA (PSP/KPSP) |
| San Jose-Reid-Hillview Airport, CA (RHV/KRHV) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot reported departing with about 45 gallons of fuel onboard. She initiated a climb to 10,500 feet, and turned on course direct to the destination airport. About 3 1/2 hours into the flight, she checked the fuel gauges, and estimated that there was enough fuel remaining for about 1 hour 10 minutes of flight. About 15 minutes later the engine stopped producing power. The pilot observed one of the gauges was now reading empty, so she switched to the other tank; the engine then regained power, and she diverted to an alternate airport. During the landing approach, the engine then lost power again, and the pilot performed a forced landing in a plowed field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing during the accident sequence. Post accident inspection revealed that both tanks were intact and absent of fuel. No obvious sources of a fuel leak were noted. The pilot reported encountering strong headwinds during the flight, and further stated that she was not comfortable with the leaning procedure for the airplane type.
Probable Cause: A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel planning and monitoring.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB WPR09LA164
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Oct-2022 07:17 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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