Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Smoketown, Pennsylvania 17576
Saturday, January 28, 2006 17:45 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was last fueled 1.4 hours prior to the accident flight. The pilot then flew for approximately 3 hours with the left fuel tank selected. When the airplane was approximately 12 miles from the destination airport, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine unsuccessfully, and then performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane impacted a barn. Examination of the airplane revealed the fuel tanks were ruptured, and no fuel was observed in the main fuel line from the firewall to the fuel pump, or the fuel line from the fuel pump to the carburetor. No mechanical anomalies were identified with the engine or airplane. According to the Piper PA-28-161 Pilot Operating Handbook, the airplane burned approximately 8.5 gallons per hour at a 75 percent power setting. The total fuel capacity was 48 useable gallons.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper pre-flight planning and improper fuel consumption calculations, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent loss of engine power.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/28/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1745 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Smoketown |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 17576 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 395422N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0760858W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1753 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 320 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LNS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 403 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| 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) | 10 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.17 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 20382 |
| NTSB Notification Source | EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 28 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 3 2006 2:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Harrisburg FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9183Y |
| NTSB Number | NYC06LA064 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| 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-28-161 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 288616016 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2447 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 72 |
| Airframe Hours | 5003 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Murphy Air LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 160 Treetops Dr. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lancaster |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 17601 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Advantage Aero Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 500 Airport Rd. |
| Operator City | Litiz |
| Operator State | PA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 17543 |
| 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 | WWD |
| Departure City | Wildwood |
| Departure State | NJ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1630 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | LNS |
| Destination City | Lancaster |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 3 2006 9:51AM |
| User who most recently changed record | ANDJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |