Piper PA-31P N3PN

Summary

On 15 February 1984 at about 18:40 local time, a Piper PA-31P registered N3PN was involved in an accident near Presidio, Texas, United States. 6 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, 4 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

15 February 1984 at 18:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Presidio, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.5592, -104.3595

Aircraft

Piper PA-31P

Registration

N3PN

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Precidio

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW84LA133

2 people were seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING A X-COUNTRY FLT THE PLT COULD NOT LOCATE A REFUELING STOP AND LANDED 100 MILES AWAY. NO REFUELING WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND HE DECIDED TO GO ON TO HIS DESTINATION WITH THE FUEL REMAINING. ENROUTE HIS RIGHT ENGINE COUGHED AND HEREALIZED HE WAS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. AFTER SWITCHING TO CROSSFEED NORMAL ENGINE OPERATION WAS RESTORED. EVEN THOUGH HE WAS ONLY ABOUT 3 MILES FROM HIS DESTINATION HE DECIDED TO LAND ON A 4000 FT DIRT AGRICULTURAL AIRSTRIP WHICH HE SAW DIRECTLY BELOW HIM. HE FORCED THE ACFT DOWN AND LANDED DOWNWIND AT HIGH SPEED ABOUT MIDWAY DOWN THE RWY. THE ACFT DID NOT STOP ON THE RWY AND OVERRAN INTO A DIRT BANK AND A FENCE. THE LANDING GEAR WAS KNOCKED OFF AND THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE FOR 700 MORE FT BEFORE IMPACTING AND TUMBLING. THE ACFT CAME TO REST INVERTED ABOUT 825 FT PAST THE DIRT BANK. A FIRE DEVELOPED IN THE LEFT WING AND CONSUMED MOST OF THE AREA IN THE VICINITY OF THE LEFT FUEL TANK OUTBOARD OF THE LEFT ENGINE. THE PLT STATED THAT THERE WERE NO MALFUNCTIONS OF THE ACFT OR SYSTEMS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.