Piper PA32 N22111

Summary

On 11 July 2020 at about 04:02 local time, a Piper PA32 registered N22111, operated by Private Individual, was involved in an accident near Springfield, Ohio, United States. 2 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

11 July 2020 at 04:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Springfield, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Springfield-Beckley Muni (SGH)

Coordinates

39.8547, -83.8161

Aircraft

Piper PA32

Registration

N22111

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Private Individual

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ocean City → Springfield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN20CA274

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadequate inflight planning that 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

While en route to the destination airport, the airplane’s engine lost power. The pilot switched fuel tanks and was able to restore engine power but the engine lost power a second time. The pilot was unable to glide the airplane to the runway and the airplane collided with trees short of the runway. The left wing separated from the fuselage and the right outboard fuel tank separated from the wing resulting in substantial damage. A review of the pilot’s preflight fuel calculations found that the pilot estimated that the airplane had 70 gallons of fuel onboard for the flight. Using an electronic flight bag, the pilot calculated the direct route of flight would be 430 nautical miles (nm), last an estimated 3 hours and 17 minutes, and require about 50 gallons of fuel, assuming 15 gallons per hour as stated in the pilot operating handbook. After departure, the flight required several course deviations and altitude deviations due to weather, which resulted in the flight lasting over an hour longer than planned. The altitude deviations required additional fuel burn that was not included in the calculations. While in flight, the pilot considered his fuel remaining about 170 nm from his intended destination, but estimated he had enough fuel to make his destination. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.