Piper PA-23-250 N66RC

Summary

On 18 December 2023 at about 20:20 local time, a Piper PA-23-250 registered N66RC, operated by Pacific Fleet Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Forney, Texas, 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

18 December 2023 at 20:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Forney, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.7547, -96.4653

Aircraft

Piper PA-23-250

Registration

N66RC

Category

Airplane

Year built

1980

Engines

2

Operator

Pacific Fleet Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mesquite → Mesquite

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN24LA068

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's inadequate fuel planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total 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

The pilot reported that while returning from a 5-hour aerial survey flight, she noticed about a quarter tank of fuel indicated on each fuel gauge and continued the flight toward the destination airport. While on the approach, the pilot noticed that both engines sputtered and both fuel gauges indicated empty. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a highway median, and the airplane impacted guardrails. Both wings, the empennage, and fuselage sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks contained no usable fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.