Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Salina, Kansas 67401
Monday, July 26, 1999 17:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that aircraft electrical power was not available during the preflight inspection. The pilot reported that the engines were started utilizing a ground power unit, and that aircraft electrical power could not be restored after the ground power unit was separated from the aircraft. The pilot reported that after liftoff he could not move the gear selection lever to the 'UP' position and that the left engine began to, '...surge and loose power. Reduced power on the left engine, engine continued to surge. Switched fuel selector for left engine to [the] left outboard fuel tank. Left engine continued to surge.' The pilot elected to land, straight ahead, into a field of wheat stubble. Fuel quantity present, at the post-accident inspection, for the inboard fuel tanks, was less than the unusable fuel amount as listed in the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH). Fuel quantity present, at the post-accident inspection, for the outboard fuel tanks, was 1-2 gallons per tank more than the POH reported unusable fuel amount. The POH states that the outboard fuel tanks are to be utilized during level flight only. All four of the fuel tanks were intact, with no apparent leaks or ruptures, and there was no evidence of a fuel spill at the accident site. According the POH, the electrical driven fuel boost pumps, '...are operated continuously and are provided to maintain fuel under pressure to the other fuel pumps....' The POH further states that the electrical driven emergency fuel pumps are utilized, '...during takeoff and landing, and for priming the engines.' According to the Piper Service Manual for the PA-31-350, the gear selection lever, '...cannot be moved to [the] gear up [position] while left main gear strut is compressed or with power off.'
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the inadequate preflight inspection by the pilot. Factors to the accident were fuel exhaustion and the operation of the aircraft with known deficiencies in equipment by the pilot.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/26/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1700 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | SALINA |
| Event State | KANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 67401 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 180 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1653 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SLN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1273 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 33 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 3677 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 748 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 27 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1228 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 11:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N97MA |
| NTSB Number | CHI99LA256 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-31-350 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-31-350 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 31-7552006 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7368 |
| 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 | 10 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 13 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 27 |
| Airframe Hours | 14307 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MAC AIR CORPORATION |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1000 S 81 BYPASS |
| Aircraft Owner City | MCPHERSON |
| Aircraft Owner State | KS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 67460 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | BWFA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | SLN |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1658 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MPR |
| Destination City | MCPHERSON |
| Destination State | KS |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| 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 | -- |