Piper PA-38-112 N2409F

Summary

On 19 January 1989 at about 23:45 local time, a Piper PA-38-112 registered N2409F was involved in an accident near Elkview, West Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

19 January 1989 at 23:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Elkview, West Virginia, United States

Coordinates

38.4293, -81.4703

Aircraft

Piper PA-38-112

Registration

N2409F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Summerville → Charleston

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Bright

NTSB number

BFO89LA016

2 people had minor injuries.

INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT AND INADEQUATE CREW/GROUP COORDINATION BY THE FLIGHT LEADER (CFI), WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO AN INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PRESENCE OF TREES IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT WAS ONE OF THREE PA-38 ACFT FLYING TOGETHER FROM VENICE, FL TO BEAVER FALLS, PA. THE LEAD ACFT WAS FLOWN BY A CFI AND THE OTHER TWO ACFT, INCLUDING N2409F, WERE FLOWN BY NEWLY CERTIFICATED PVT PLTS. THE PLT OF N2409F WAS CERTIFICATED ON THE PREVIOUS DAY. ACCORDING TO THE PLT OF N2409F, FLIGHT PLANNING WAS DONE BY THE CFI. THE EN ROUTE FLIGHT WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT, EXCEPT THE FIRST REFUELING STOP WAS EARLIER THAN PLANNED, BECAUSE THEY WERE LOW ON FUEL. A SECOND REFUELING STOP WAS MADE AT SUMMERVILLE; HOWEVER, WHEN THEY LANDED THE FUEL SERVICE THERE WAS CLOSED. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, EACH ACFT HAD 4 GALS OF FUEL. HE SAID THE CFI DETERMINED THEY HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH CHARLESTON, LOCATED 40 MILES AWAY. THEY TOOK OFF AND, ACCORDING TO THE PLT, ABOUT 14 MILES SOUTH OF CHARLESTON, HIS ACFT RAN OUT OF FUEL. HE MADE A FORCED LANDING AND THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING THE LANDING. THE OTHER TWO ACFT REACHED CHARLESTON AND WERE REFUELED WITH MORE THAN 30 GALS OF FUEL (CAPACITY WAS 32 GALS; USABLE FUEL WAS 30 GALS).

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.