Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Jean Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jean, Nevada 89019
Saturday, December 18, 2004 16:45 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane collided with obstacles and terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The weather briefing obtained by the pilot forecast the winds aloft at 20-30 knots. The pilot calculated the flight time to the final destination to be about 2 hours. The pilot estimated that at the intended power setting for the flight, the airplane's fuel tanks contained about 3 hours of fuel. The initial leg of the flight lasted about 20 minutes, and the pilot landed at the intended airport to pickup two passengers. After a brief stopover, the pilot checked the fuel quantity to be below the fuel indicator tabs, and estimated the amount via an unapproved straw indicator; the flight then departed for the final destination. The pilot reported that during the flight, the head wind conditions were stronger than he was anticipating and he decided to proceed to the closest airport. Nearing the airport, the pilot switched between the airplane's two fuel tanks, exhausting the fuel in both. About 2 hours 30 minutes after the initial departure, the pilot performed a forced landing 3 miles short of the alternate airport. After touchdown, and during the landing rollout, the airplane's right main gear impacted a large rock, resulting in the airplane pivoting to the right and the nose gear collapsing. The pilot stated that he performed a post-crash examination of the airplane and found both of the airplane's fuel tanks completely empty; the fuel gauges inside the cockpit indicated 1/8 fuel remaining in each tank. A post crash examination of the fuel gauges revealed that the sending unit for the left tank read 1/4 of fuel remaining while in the empty position. The Federal Aviation Regulations in 14 CFR Part 23 requires each fuel quantity indicator to be calibrated to read "zero" when the quantity of fuel remaining in the tank is equal to the unusable fuel supply.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision and failure to divert to an alternate airport in a more timely manner, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a loss of engine power. A factor in the accident was an inaccurate fuel gauge.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/18/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1645 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Jean |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89019 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 354610N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1143949W |
| Event Location Airport | Jean |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 0L7 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1656 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LAS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.34 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19371 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 18 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1700 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 28 2006 1:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-FSDO Las Vegas, NV |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N32034 |
| NTSB Number | LAX05LA036 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7505018 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2500 |
| 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 | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Robert L. Marks |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | -- |
| Aircraft Owner State | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Pacific Coast Flyers |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Carlsbad |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | F70 |
| Departure City | Murrieta |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1445 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | VGT |
| Destination City | North Las Vegas |
| Destination State | NV |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 31 2005 1:44PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |