Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gila Bend, Arizona 85377
Friday, July 31, 1992 17:30 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TUCSON, ARIZONA, ON THE MORNING OF JULY 31 FOR A FLIGHT TO YUCCA VALLEY. WHEN HE WAS READY TO DEPART ON THE RETURN LEG OF THE ROUND ROBIN CROSS COUNTRY THE PILOT DISCOVERED THAT NO FUEL SERVICE WAS AVAILABLE AT YUCCA VALLEY AND HE DEPARTED WITH THE INTENTION OF FUELING THE AIRCRAFT WHILE ENROUTE BACK TO TUCSON. AFTER DEPARTURE FROM YUCCA VALLEY, THE AIRCRAFT BY PASSED THE AIRPORTS AT PALM SPRINGS AND THERMAL, THEN OVER FLEW BLYTHE, CALIFORNIA. OVER BLYTHE THE PILOT SAID HE COULD NOT RAISE ANYONE ON THE UNICOM TO VERIFY IF FUEL WAS AVAILABLE. THE NEXT AIRPORT ON THE MOST DIRECT ROUTING TO TUCSON WAS GILA BEND, ARIZONA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING TOWARD THE GILA BEND AIRPORT WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY IN A FIELD AND INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO THE PILOTS INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT AND INFLIGHT PLANNING, AND, HIS FAILURE TO REFUEL THE AIRCRAFT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/31/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1730 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | GILA BEND |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85377 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 38 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2554 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 31 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1805 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 47386 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3030R |
| NTSB Number | LAX92LA329 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R35655 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2600 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 2 1900 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 57 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CANDLE AND ASSOCIATES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 11700 W. AVRA VALLEY ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | MARANA |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85653 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CANDLE AND ASSOCIATES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 11700 W. AVRA VALLEY ROAD |
| Operator City | MARANA |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 85653 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | L22 |
| Departure City | YUCCA VALLEY |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1600 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | E14 |
| Destination City | TUCSON |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| 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 | -- |