Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Payson Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Payson, Arizona 85547
Monday, November 7, 2005 2:30 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane impacted trees and terrain after experiencing a total loss of engine power during a night cross-country flight. The pilot notified air traffic control that he believed he had run his fuel tanks dry and was going to make a precautionary landing at a nearby airport. About 12 miles north of the diversion airport the airplane began to lose power, and every attempt to regain power failed. After the total loss of engine power the pilot maneuvered for an emergency landing but was unable to reach the airfield. Information obtained during the investigation revealed the pilot had flown non-stop from Prescott, Arizona, to Odessa, Texas, in 5.3 hours and used 45.3 gallons, for an approximate fuel burn rate of 8.56 gallons per hour (gph). The accident occurred on the return leg of the flight, also planned by the pilot as a nonstop from Odessa to Prescott. According to flight records and the Hobbs hour meter, the accident flight lasted 5.7 hours. With the 8.56 gph fuel burn, the pilot flew the airplane beyond its usable fuel level of 48 gallons. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which was caused by the pilot's inadequate preflight and in-flight planning, his inadequate fuel consumption calculations, and his failure to divert to an alternate airport before the fuel situation became critical.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/7/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 230 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Payson |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85547 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 341524N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1112021W |
| Event Location Airport | Payson Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KPAN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 7 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 5157 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 253 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 282 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PRC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5045 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 59 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| 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) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.1 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19246 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 28 2006 12:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Federal Aviation Administration - Scottsdale FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2111P |
| NTSB Number | LAX06CA026 |
| 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-28-161 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7916273 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2325 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Jun 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 102 |
| Airframe Hours | 8375.38 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | J.I.R.A., Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 719 Lester Drive |
| Aircraft Owner City | Prescott |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 86301 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Skyschool, Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 6418 MacCurdy Drive |
| Operator City | Prescott |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 86301 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ODO |
| Departure City | Odessa |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2130 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PRC |
| Destination City | Prescott |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2005 3:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |