Piper PA 18-135 N8086C

Summary

On 3 July 2015 at about 03:30 local time, a Piper PA 18-135 registered N8086C was involved in an accident near Twin Falls, Idaho, 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 2015 at 03:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Twin Falls, Idaho, United States

Coordinates

42.5500, -114.5200

Aircraft

Piper PA 18-135

Registration

N8086C

Category

Airplane

Year built

1954

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gooding → Twin Falls

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

GAA15CA164

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's inadequate fuel inspection during his preflight fuel performance planning task, resulting in fuel exhaustion en route, and an emergency landing and collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while in cruise flight, he exhausted the useable fuel on board the airplane. The pilot made an emergency off airport landing, and the airplane collided with terrain and came to rest in a corn field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot stated that he visually checked the fuel level via the sight gauge during his pre-flight, however he did not physically check the fuel cell. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.