Piper PA25-260 N8555L
24 September 2014 · Mokuleia, Hawaii, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 24 September 2014 at about 21:20 local time, a Piper PA25-260 registered N8555L, operated by Arco Flight International, was involved in an accident near Mokuleia, Hawaii, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 21:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Mokuleia, Hawaii, United States
- Nearest airport
- Dillingham Airfield (HDH)
- Coordinates
- 21.3003, -157.8507
- Aircraft
- Piper PA25-260
- Registration
- N8555L
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1968
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Arco Flight International
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Glider Tow
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Mokuleia → Mokuleia
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR14CA389
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's improper preflight planning and reliance of fuel gauge readings, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Prior to the glider tow flight, the pilot estimated that he had about 45 minutes of fuel on board; he also estimated that the flight would take about 12 minutes. The pilot reported that he did not visually check the fuel level prior to departing, but relied on the sight gauge. After releasing the glider and while in the descent, the engine lost power. Judging that he could not make the airport, the pilot landed just off shore in the ocean surf. A postaccident examination of the engine and propeller revealed no apparent damage to the propeller, and that when rotated there were no abnormal sounds detected from the engine. An examination of the airframe revealed that both ailerons were damaged, the fuselage was deformed, and the rudder was damaged. Additionally, when the fuel tank was inspected, which had not been breached, it was observed to be empty. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA25 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Aug 2016 | Piper PA25 | Finca, Colombia | Fumigaciones Aereas del Norte S.a.s. | Fatal | 1 |
| 3 Oct 2012 | Piper PA25 | Juquiá Municipality, Brazil | Aero Agrícola Caiçara Ltda | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 Feb 2017 | Piper PA25 | Santa Catarina, Brazil | Seragri-Servicos Aero Agricolas LTDA | Fatal | 1 |
| 4 Mar 2017 | Piper PA25 | Villa Tapia, Dominican Republic | Superior Food Distributors LLC | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Mar 2017 | Piper PA25 | Etchoropo, Sonora, Mexico | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Oct 2017 | Piper PA25 | Cerro de Ortega, Mexico | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Sep 2014 | Eurocopter AS 350 B2 | Kahului, Maui, Hawaii, United States | Hawaii Helicopters Inc | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jun 2014 | Airbus AS 350 BA FX1 | Wailuku, Hawaii, United States | Sunshine Helicopters Inc | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 2014 | Robinson R44 II | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 May 2014 | Piper PA28-181 | Ho'olehua, Hawaii, United States | Washin Air Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Feb 2014 | Piper PA31 | Lanai City, Hawaii, United States | Maui Island Air | Fatal | 3 |
| 28 Feb 2014 | Partenavia S P A P 68 OBSERVER | Molokai, Hawaii, United States | Paragon Inc | No injuries | - |