Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Eagle County Rgnl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Eagle, Colorado 81367
Friday, June 28, 2013 14:55 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During the flight, the airplane's engine experienced a loss of power, and the copilot took control of the airplane from the pilot, who had been flying, and directed the pilot to attempt to restart the engine. The airplane descended and impacted terrain short of the runway. The fuel tank selector was found in the left main tank position, but no visible fuel was found in the left main tank. After battery power was applied to the airplane, the engine data monitoring system indicated that the left main tank had 11 gallons of fuel and the right main tank had 8 gallons of fuel. After the fuel floats were moved, the monitoring system indicated that the left main tank had 2 gallons of fuel and that the right main tank had 9.5 gallons of fuel. Regardless of the fuel quantity indications, the pilots should have known how much fuel was in each tank and, based on fuel calculations, known when each tank was going to become empty. Further, the pilot should have switched fuel tanks as part of the engine restart procedures; however, he did not report doing so. Each of the four fuel tank senders were examined and wear and corrosion were found on all of them. When tested with a voltmeter, none of the fuel floats provided consistent electrical signals, which would alter the amount of fuel indicated on the engine monitoring system. Because the selector was positioned to the left main tank, the engine lost power due to fuel starvation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilots’ improper fuel management, which resulted in the loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was worn and corroded fuel senders, which transmitted inaccurate fuel readings to the fuel monitoring system.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/28/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1455 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Eagle |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 81367 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 393828N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1065608W |
| Event Location Airport | EAGLE COUNTY RGNL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | EGE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 264 |
| Airport Elevation | 6547 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1450 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 70 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KEGE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6547 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| 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) | 32 |
| 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) | 30.28 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KEGE 282050Z 26006KT 10SM VCSH SCT120 32/01 |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32373 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Denver FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 3 2014 12:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | aguj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N856CC |
| NTSB Number | CEN13LA362 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-24-260 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24-4020 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PETRACHEK TIMOTHY C |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN MARCOS |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92069-1330 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | PETRACHEK TIMOTHY C |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | SAN MARCOS |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 92069-1330 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CRQ |
| Departure City | CARLSBAD |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 915 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | EGE |
| Destination City | Eagle |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 3 2014 12:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | aguj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 25 |
| Runway Length | 9000 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |