Piper PA-24 N5556P

Summary

On 24 December 1989 at about 20:55 local time, a Piper PA-24 registered N5556P, operated by Morris J. Hansen, was involved in an accident near Danielsville, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 December 1989 at 20:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Danielsville, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

34.1196, -83.2199

Aircraft

Piper PA-24

Registration

N5556P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Morris J. Hansen

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Coldwater → Athens

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL90LA044

Nobody was injured.

INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PREPARATION/PLANNING BY THE PILOT, BY NOT ASSURING AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION. RELATED FACTORS WERE: A FALSE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATION, TREES IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA, AND FAILURE OF THE LANDING GEAR TO EXTEND (FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON).

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT STATED THAT DRG FLT, HE NOTED A SLIGHT ODOR OF FUEL & OPENED THE VENTS TO ALLOW FRESH AIR IN THE CABIN. AS HE WAS ARRIVING TO LAND AT THE DESTN ARPT, THE ENG LOST POWER AT ABOUT 2200' AGL. HE SELECTED AN EMERG LANDING AREA. AFTER ASSURING CLNC OVER TREES, HE TRIED TO EXTD THE LNDG GEAR WITH THE NORMAL (ELEC) EXTN SYS, BUT WAS UNABLE. HE STARTED TO USE THE EMERG GEAR EXTN SYS, BUT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME, SO HE MADE A WHEELS UP LNDG. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR ENG WAS FOUND. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, HIS INSTRUMENTS SHOWED FUEL WAS STILL REMAINING WHEN THE ENG LOST POWER; HOWEVER, NO USABLE FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE ACFT AFTER THE ACDNT. THE PLT STATED THAT THE ACFT WAS 'TOPPED OFF' WITH FUEL BEFORE THE FLT & HE ESTIMATED 11.7 GAL OF FUEL OR MORE WOULD BE REMAINING WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE DESTN. THE ACFT'S FUEL CAPACITY WAS 60 GAL WITH THE TANKS FILLED TO THE TOP OF THE FILLER NECKS. RPRTDLY, THE FUEL SYS WOULD HAVE HAD ABOUT 10 GAL LESS THAN A FULL LOAD, IF THE TANKS HAD BEEN FILLED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FILLER NECKS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.