Piper PA-24-250 N7706P

Summary

On 1 December 2004 at about 20:20 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N7706P was involved in an accident near Granbury, Texas, 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

1 December 2004 at 20:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Granbury, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Pecan Plantation Airport (0TX1)

Coordinates

32.3539, -97.6764

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N7706P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Granbury → Sherman

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW05LA026

1 person was seriously injured.

The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing factors were the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 4,500-hour pilot reported that he during takeoff initial climb, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power at at an altitude of approximately 200 feet above ground level. The pilot immediately initiated a forced landing to a field, while verifying the fuel pump was on and the mixture was rich. The pilot stated that he "thought the left fuel tank was full" of fuel prior to departure. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed there was no visible fuel was found in the left main fuel tank, but fuel was observed in the right main fuel tank, left and right auxiliary fuel tanks. During the recovery process, the recovery crew drained approximately four tablespoons of fuel from the left wing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.