ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 190306
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| Date: | Wednesday 21 September 2016 |
| Time: | 19:20 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N7663Y |
| MSN: | 30-741 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1965 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4500 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO 320 B1A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Mineral Wells Airport, Mineral Wells, Texas -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Marfa, TX (KMRF) |
| Mineral Wells, TX (MWL) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airline transport pilot reported that, before the flight preceding the accident flight, he added 19 gallons of fuel to the auxiliary and main fuel tanks. He added that he did not add fuel to the tip tanks and that he had used all the fuel in those tanks during the flight before the accident flight. The pilot then departed for the accident flight. He stated that, during the flight, he only used the auxiliary and main fuel tanks and that, while on final approach for landing, he switched from the auxiliary to the main fuel tanks for landing. Shortly thereafter, the right engine lost power and then the left engine lost power. The pilot subsequently conducted a forced landing to a road and a field, during which the fuselage and wings were crushed, the empennage was partially separated from the fuselage, and the pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries.
The examination of both engines, fuel tanks, and related fuel systems revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. One gallon of fuel was recovered from the right main tank fuel lines, and 3 gallons of fuel were recovered from the left auxiliary tank. Although no fuel was recovered from the tip fuel tanks, damage signatures on both tip fuel tanks were consistent with both tanks being full of fuel at the time of the accident. Given this evidence, it is likely that pilot did not use the tip fuel tanks during the previous flight despite believing that he had done so and instead used the main and auxiliary fuel tanks. The pilot’s fuel mismanagement resulted in fuel starvation to both engines and their subsequent loss of engine power while on final approach to the airport.
Probable Cause: The pilot's fuel mismanagement, which resulted in fuel starvation to both engines and their subsequent loss of engine power.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: 2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=7663Y
Location
Media:
Developing: FAA Confirms crash of a twin-engine Piper Comanche NW of Mineral Wells Apt. 3 on board, 2 to hospital, 1 no injuries. #NBCDFWNow
— Don Peritz Jr. (@DonPeritzNBC5) September 22, 2016
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Sep-2016 17:10 | Geno | Added |
| 16-Apr-2017 21:16 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Apr-2017 21:27 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Source, Embed code] |
| 19-Aug-2017 14:56 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
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