Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Reid-Hillview Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
San Jose, California 95122
Sunday, November 17, 1985 18:21 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WHILE ON FINAL APCH FOR SAN JOSE MUNI AIRPORT AT THE END OF A CROSS COUNTRY FLT, THE ACFT EXPERIENCED TOTAL FUEL EXHAUSTION. PLT DIVERTED A/C TO RIED HILLVIEW AIRPORT & ESTABLISHED POWER-OFF GLIDE. ON FINAL FOR RWY 31R, PLT SAID HE REALIZED THE A/C WOULD NOT MAKE THE RUNWAY & 'STALLED THE A/C' INTO GROUND OBSTRUCTIONS TO REDUCE THE FWD SPEED AT IMPACT. FAA INSPECTORS FOUND NO FUEL IN THE A/C & NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE. A/C WAS AIRBORNE FOR ABOUT 3 HRS 45 MINS. THE PLT PLANNED A FUEL CONSUMPTION OF 7.9 GPH. PRIOR TO TAKEOFF AT DEPARTURE AIRPORT, A/C WAS FUELED TO THE TABS, WHICH GAVE A TOTAL USABLE FUEL LOAD OF 32 GALS. AT 7.9 GPH, 3 HRS 45 MINS OF ELAPSED TIME USES 29.6 GALS OF FUEL.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/17/1985 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1821 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | SAN JOSE |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95122 |
| Event Date Year | 1985 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | REID-HILLVIEW |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RHV |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 310 |
| Airport Elevation | 133 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1823 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RHV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 133 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Bright |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 100 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2547 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 17 1985 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2030 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 30278 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N41309 |
| NTSB Number | LAX86LA040 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA28-151 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA28-151 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7415166 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2325 |
| 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 1 1985 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NORMAN SMITH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1621 ENGLISH DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN JOSE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | TIMOTHY W. TUFNELL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 674 BELLFLOWER AVENUE |
| Operator City | SUNNYVALE |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 94086 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SNA |
| Departure City | SANTA ANA |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1445 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SJC |
| Destination City | SAN JOSE |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31 |
| Runway Length | 3101 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |