Piper PA 25-235 N8730L

Summary

On 3 July 2014 at about 13:00 local time, a Piper PA 25-235 registered N8730L, operated by Walker Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Rhinelander, Wisconsin, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 July 2014 at 13:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Rhinelander, Wisconsin, United States

Coordinates

45.7450, -89.2750

Aircraft

Piper PA 25-235

Registration

N8730L

Category

Airplane

Year built

1969

Engines

1

Operator

Walker Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rhinelander → Rhinelander

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14CA344

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power due to the pilot's improper inflight planning and reliance of fuel gauge readings, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A pre-flight inspection of the airplane before an aerial application flight revealed the airplane's fuel tank quantity was 3/4 full of fuel. Two aerial application flights lasted approximately one hour. The aircraft was loaded a third time. The loader inquired if the aircraft needed fuel. The pilot checked the fuel gauge and informed the loader that there was slightly less than 1/2 tank. He said that the airplane would require fuel on the next load. The aircraft departed and flew for approximately 10 minutes. The engine stopped producing power, the pilot jettisoned the load, and he performed a forced landing on an adjacent field. The airplane nosed over and sustained substantial wing, fuselage, and empennage damage. No fuel was found on-scene in the airplane's fuel tanks or under the inverted airplane. Fuel was added to the fuel tank and the engine operated. According to the Federal Aviation Administration publication, The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, "aircraft certification rules require accuracy in fuel gauges only when they read 'empty.' Any reading other than 'empty' should be verified. Do not depend solely on the accuracy of the fuel quantity gauges."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.