Aviation Accident Summary CHI06CA216

Minot, ND, USA

Aircraft #1

N7587Z

Piper PA-25

Analysis

The agricultural spray airplane sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain after a loss of control during a forced landing. The pilot reported that he had about two hours of fuel on board the airplane when he departed to spray a field. He was returning to his private airstrip about 1.5 hours after departure when the engine lost power. He attempted a forced landing to a gravel road, but a car was approaching so he changed directions to avoid any traffic on the ground. He reported that the stall warning light illuminated while he was in a left bank. He reported, "I started to flare about 50 ft. above the ground and the plane stalled dropping the left wing before impact." The inspection of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks were empty.

Factual Information

The agricultural spray airplane sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain after a loss of control during a forced landing. The pilot reported that he had about two hours of fuel on board the airplane when he departed to spray a field. He was returning to his private airstrip about 1.5 hours after departure when the engine quit. He attempted a forced landing to a gravel road, but a car was approaching so he changed directions to avoid any traffic on the ground. He reported that the stall warning light illuminated while he was in a left bank. He reported, "I started to flare about 50 ft. above the ground and the plane stalled dropping the left wing before impact." The inspection of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks were empty. The pilot reported that he had made the same trip three times earlier with the same amount of fuel. He reported that the "fuel gauge was cloudy."

Probable Cause and Findings

The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel calculations and the low airspeed which resulted in the pilot stalling the airplane. A factor was the car on the road which prevented the pilot from landing on the road.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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