Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Clay City, Kentucky 40312
Wednesday, July 8, 1992 23:14 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRPLANE WAS REFUELED TO CAPACITY OF 50 GALLONS BEFORE DEPARTURE. HE STATED HE WAS 4.2 HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT, DESCENDING FROM 8000 TO 4000 FEET MSL, WHEN THE ENGINE SPUTTERED SEVERAL TIMES, THEN LOST POWER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL GAGES INDICATED 4 AND ABOUT 7 TO 8 GALLONS, RESPECTIVELY, WHEN THE POWER LOSS OCCURRED, AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SET TO THE LEFT TANK. ATTEMPTS TO RESTORE POWER, INCLUDING SWITCHING FUEL TANKS, WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. THE EXAMINATION REVEALED THE CARBURETOR INLET FUEL LINE WAS EMPTY. THE LEFT WING SEPARATED DURING THE CRASH IMPACT SEQUENCE, CAME TO REST IN A TREE, AND WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE FOR EXAMINATION. THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK WAS UNDETERMINED. PERFORMANCE CHARTS INDICATED THAT WITH THE PILOT'S REPORTED POWER SETTINGS, THE FUEL FLOW SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 8.4 GALLONS PER HOUR.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FUEL STARVATION FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. DARKNESS AND TREES IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA WERE RELATED FACTORS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/8/1992
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 2314
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City CLAY CITY
Event State KENTUCKY
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 40312
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2250 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 285
Weather Observation Facility ID LEX
Elevation of weather observation facility 980
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 30
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 22
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 210
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2057
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 8 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 10
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 46849
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:04PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2857D
NTSB Number BFO92LA091
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-181
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-181
Aircraft Serial Number 28-7990500
Certified Max Gross Weight 2550
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jul 10 1991 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 85
Airframe Hours 1438
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LEXINGTON FLYING CLUB, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 863
Aircraft Owner City LEXINGTON
Aircraft Owner State KY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 40587
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name LEXINGTON FLYING CLUB, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 863
Operator City LEXINGTON
Operator State KY
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 40587
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code PHF
Departure City NEWPORT NEWS
Departure State VA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1904
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code LEX
Destination City LEXINGTON
Destination State KY
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --