Piper PA 18-150 N83325

Summary

On 12 February 2014 at about 18:22 local time, a Piper PA 18-150 registered N83325, operated by Usda Aphis Wildlife Services, was involved in an accident near Gordon, Nebraska, United States. 2 people were 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

12 February 2014 at 18:22

Classification

Accident

Location

Gordon, Nebraska, United States

Nearest airport

Gordon Muni (GRN)

Coordinates

42.7383, -102.1758

Aircraft

Piper PA 18-150

Registration

N83325

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Usda Aphis Wildlife Services

Operating rule

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gordon → Gordon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14CA137

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power due to the pilot's improper planning and miscalculation of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

In a statement provided by the pilot, the fuel calculations for the accident flight were based on the fuel burn from the flight the day before. On the day of the accident flight, the pilot used a clock timer from the time of engine start to estimate the longevity of the fuel supply. He and his passenger departed on a low altitude wildlife control flight. When the timer read 4 hours and 22 minutes, the engine experienced a partial loss of power two consecutive times. The pilot restored the power both times by applying carburetor heat. When the engine experienced a loss of power the third time, he attempted to restore the power by leaning the mixture control and adjusting the fuel selector. Finally, the engine experienced a total loss of power and the pilot landed on the highway to the north with a gusty quartering tailwind from the southwest. During the landing roll, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the right. The airplane exited the road, struck a fence, and a wooden pole which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector determined that the airplane's usable fuel supply had been exhausted. In a statement provided by the operator's representative, the pilot stated that his fuel calculations were not correct and the fuel supply had been exhausted.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.