Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Woodstock, Connecticut 06281
Sunday, September 8, 2013 15:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that the airplane’s digital cockpit fuel gauges indicated that each of the two wing tanks contained about 5 gallons of fuel before departure for the 10- to 15-minute flight. About 4 miles from the destination airport, the engine began to run roughly, and the pilot switched the fuel tank selector from the left wing tank to the right wing tank. The engine continued to run roughly and subsequently experienced a total loss of power. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a cornfield, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. During postaccident examination, the fuel quantity gauges indicated that no fuel remained, and no fuel was observed in either of the wing fuel tanks. Recovery personnel drained a total of 2 gallons of fuel from the airplane before its recovery from the field. An engine test run was performed, and the engine started and ran smoothly and without interruption through all power settings. Despite the pilot’s report that a bird strike precipitated the total loss of engine power, no evidence of a bird strike was observed during a postaccident examination of the wreckage.
The pilot’s operating handbook stated that, at an engine power setting of 75-percent-rated horsepower, the fuel consumption rate was about 14 gallons per hour, or about 0.23 gallon per minute. Given this fuel consumption rate, a 15-minute flight would have consumed about 3.5 gallons, not including the fuel required for engine startup, taxi, and takeoff. The pilot used the digital cockpit fuel gauges as his only indication of the fuel level and did not confirm the displayed quantity either visually or with another fuel measurement device before takeoff.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s improper preflight inspection, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/8/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Woodstock |
| Event State | CONNECTICUT |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 06281 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 413412N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0720036W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| 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 | 1452 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 222 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | IJD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 255 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.86 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KIJD 081952Z AUTO 34011KT 10SM CLR 23/06 A2986 RMK |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32896 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Pilot |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 8 2014 11:21AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7333P |
| NTSB Number | ERA13LA408 |
| 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-24-250 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24-2512 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2800 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ELMS JOHN H JR |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | LONG BEACH |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 90807-3412 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | ELMS JOHN H JR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | LONG BEACH |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 90807-3412 |
| 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 | 3B0 |
| Departure City | Southbridge |
| Departure State | MA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1445 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | LZD |
| Destination City | Danielson |
| Destination State | CT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 8 2014 11:21AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |