Piper PA 46 N148ME

Summary

On 30 May 2018 at about 04:15 local time, a Piper PA 46 registered N148ME, operated by 1ST Avenue Malibu Services LLC, was involved in an accident near Prescott, Arizona, United States. 3 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

30 May 2018 at 04:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Prescott, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Ernest A Love Field (PRC)

Coordinates

34.3406, -112.2942

Aircraft

Piper PA 46

Registration

N148ME

Category

Airplane

Year built

1986

Engines

1

Operator

1ST Avenue Malibu Services LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Ana → Prescott

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

GAA18CA312

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, about 15 minutes before reaching the destination airport during descent, the engine lost power. The pilot switched fuel tanks, and the engine power was momentarily restored, but the engine stopped producing power even though he thought it "was still running all the way to impact." The pilot conducted a forced landed on a highway at night, and the right wing struck an object and separated from the airplane. The airplane came to rest inverted. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector (ASI) that performed the postaccident airplane examination, the fuel lines to the fuel manifold were dry, and the fuel manifold valves were dry. He reported that the fuel strainer, the diaphragm, and the fuel filter in the duel manifold were unremarkable. Fuel was found in the gascolator. The FAA ASI reported that, during his interview with the pilot, "the pilot changed his story from fuel exhaustion, to fuel contamination." The inspector reported that there were no signs of fuel contamination during the examination of the fuel system. According to the fixed-base operator (FBO) at the departure airport, the pilot requested 20 gallons of fuel. He then canceled his fuel request and walked out of the FBO.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.