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Piper PA24-250 made forced landing short of the airport when running out of fuel on final to an uncontrolled airport causing minor damage to the aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 515139 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200106 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : o90.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-24 Turbo Comanche |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 9.5 |
| ASRS Report | 515139 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel gauges other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Flew 50 NM to airport to have maintenance done on the aircraft. Estimated 16 gallons of usable fuel on board (1 hour at cruise power) for a 25-30 min flight. Tanks were to be drained on landing for maintenance on fuel selector. Approximately 2.5 mi on final with left tank selected, lose power to engine. Switched to right tank, but got only momentary power. Landed in field just short of runway. Damaged wing skin, nose gear door, and propeller by barbed wire fence. Usable fuel found in left tank. No usable fuel in right tank. Not sure why engine quit with left tank selected. My estimate of fuel at landing did not match actual fuel remaining. My inexperience with model of airplane was probably a contributing cause although I had monitored burn rate, visually inspected tanks during preflight, and added 5 gallons prior to takeoff. Conclusion: better to drain and toss 60 gallons rather than land short.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PIPER PA24-250 MADE FORCED LNDG SHORT OF THE ARPT WHEN RUNNING OUT OF FUEL ON FINAL TO AN UNCTLED ARPT CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT.
Narrative: FLEW 50 NM TO ARPT TO HAVE MAINT DONE ON THE ACFT. ESTIMATED 16 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL ON BOARD (1 HR AT CRUISE PWR) FOR A 25-30 MIN FLT. TANKS WERE TO BE DRAINED ON LNDG FOR MAINT ON FUEL SELECTOR. APPROX 2.5 MI ON FINAL WITH L TANK SELECTED, LOSE PWR TO ENG. SWITCHED TO R TANK, BUT GOT ONLY MOMENTARY PWR. LANDED IN FIELD JUST SHORT OF RWY. DAMAGED WING SKIN, NOSE GEAR DOOR, AND PROP BY BARBED WIRE FENCE. USABLE FUEL FOUND IN L TANK. NO USABLE FUEL IN R TANK. NOT SURE WHY ENG QUIT WITH L TANK SELECTED. MY ESTIMATE OF FUEL AT LNDG DID NOT MATCH ACTUAL FUEL REMAINING. MY INEXPERIENCE WITH MODEL OF AIRPLANE WAS PROBABLY A CONTRIBUTING CAUSE ALTHOUGH I HAD MONITORED BURN RATE, VISUALLY INSPECTED TANKS DURING PREFLT, AND ADDED 5 GALLONS PRIOR TO TKOF. CONCLUSION: BETTER TO DRAIN AND TOSS 60 GALLONS RATHER THAN LAND SHORT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.