ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 356288
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| Date: | Sunday 26 January 1997 |
| Time: | 19:25 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-151 |
| Owner/operator: | Southwind Aviation Academy |
| Registration: | N8478F |
| MSN: | 28-7715269 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1976 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4370 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320-E2D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Brownsville, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Waco, TX (KACT) |
| (KBRO) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During the landing approach, the airplane was about 1 mile from the runway threshold at an altitude of 500 feet AGL when the engine lost power. Total flight time was 4 hours and 18 minutes. The chief flight instructor found that the fuel tanks were intact with no fuel in the tanks or the gascolator. The assistant director of maintenance inspected the engine and the fuel system and found no discrepancies. The operator reported that the student was unable to produce any flight planning or fuel planning for the return flight. An ATC controller stated that the pilot had terminated flight following prior to maneuvering for approximately 15 minutes before proceeding to the destination airport. En route winds aloft were 150 degrees at 14 knots. The operator conducted a test flight in the make and model of airplane along the flight route with a headwind of 3 knots and the fuel used was 38.4 gallons (total usable fuel 46 gallons). The operator stated that 13 knot headwinds and 15 minutes of flight maneuvering would have deplete the remaining fuel.
Probable Cause: the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. Factors were the pilot's lack of preflight planning and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW97LA090
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Mar-2024 20:59 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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