Piper PA-24-250 N6688P

Summary

On 20 November 2001 at about 15:30 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N6688P was involved in an accident near Evans, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 November 2001 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Evans, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

33.3719, -82.0000

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N6688P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Anderson → Agusta

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA02LA025

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's improper fuel management and failure switch to the other fuel tank which had fuel available prior to the engine ceasing to operate, which resulted in fuel starvation and damage to the airplane during an off-airport landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that about 40 minutes into the flight, at an altitude of about 3,000 feet, all of a sudden, and without warning, the engine ceased operating. He said he performed the emergency procedures, but was unable to get the engine operating again, and he affected a forced landing at the edge of a wooded area. A witness stated that he was in a parking lot, and he saw the airplane, and heard it "cutting on and off", and "waving" back and forth, before it crashed. A detective with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office stated that the pilot told him that he ran out of fuel and tried to land in an open field, but ended up crashing on the bank of a private pond. According to the FAA inspector who responded to the accident scene, the accident airplane's right wing had been destroyed, along with its associated fuel tank as a result of the impact, but the left wing had remained intact. The inspector further stated that the fuel tank in the left wing was found to be nearly full of fuel, and examination of fuel lines from the gascolator to the fuel pump, and from the fuel pump to the carburetor did not reveal any evidence of fuel. The NTSB conducted an operational test of the engine at Atlanta Air Salvage, Griffin, Georgia, and it functioned, exhibiting no evidence of preaccident failure or malfunction. In addition, a detailed examination and test of the airplane's carburetor revealed no anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.