Piper PA 30 N7663Y

Summary

On 22 September 2016 at about 00:20 local time, a Piper PA 30 registered N7663Y was involved in an accident near Mineral Wells, Texas, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 September 2016 at 00:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Mineral Wells, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Mineral Wells Airport (MWL)

Coordinates

32.7817, -98.0603

Aircraft

Piper PA 30

Registration

N7663Y

Category

Airplane

Year built

1965

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marfa → Mineral Wells

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA380

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's fuel mismanagement, which resulted in fuel starvation to both engines and their subsequent loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot reported that, before the flight preceding the accident flight, he added 19 gallons of fuel to the auxiliary and main fuel tanks. He added that he did not add fuel to the tip tanks and that he had used all the fuel in those tanks during the flight before the accident flight. The pilot then departed for the accident flight. He stated that, during the flight, he only used the auxiliary and main fuel tanks and that, while on final approach for landing, he switched from the auxiliary to the main fuel tanks for landing. Shortly thereafter, the right engine lost power and then the left engine lost power. The pilot subsequently conducted a forced landing to a road and a field, during which the fuselage and wings were crushed, the empennage was partially separated from the fuselage, and the pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The examination of both engines, fuel tanks, and related fuel systems revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. One gallon of fuel was recovered from the right main tank fuel lines, and 3 gallons of fuel were recovered from the left auxiliary tank. Although no fuel was recovered from the tip fuel tanks, damage signatures on both tip fuel tanks were consistent with both tanks being full of fuel at the time of the accident. Given this evidence, it is likely that pilot did not use the tip fuel tanks during the previous flight despite believing that he had done so and instead used the main and auxiliary fuel tanks. The pilot's fuel mismanagement resulted in fuel starvation to both engines and their subsequent loss of engine power while on final approach to the airport.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.