Piper J-5A N35931

Summary

On 17 April 1992 at about 20:15 local time, a Piper J-5A registered N35931, operated by Patten, Clayton P., was involved in an accident near Broadus, Montana, United States. One person was 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

17 April 1992 at 20:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Broadus, Montana, United States

Coordinates

45.3893, -105.4993

Aircraft

Piper J-5A

Registration

N35931

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Patten, Clayton P.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chamberlain → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA92LA081

Nobody was injured.

FUEL SYSTEM EXHAUSTION. FACTORS INCLUDE AN INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT, INADVERTENT FUEL DUMPING, AND A DITCH IN THE LANDING AREA.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT OF THE PIPER J-5 HAD JUST PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS RETURNING TO HIS HOME AIRPORT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF FUEL. DURING THE ENSUING EMERGENCY LANDING THE AIRCRAFT HIT A DITCH AND NOSED OVER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN BURNING ABOUT EIGHT GALLONS OF FUEL PER HOUR. THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH HAD BEEN AIRBORNE APPROXIMATELY THREE AND ONE HALF HOURS, SHOULD HAVE HAD AN ENDURANCE OF OVER FOUR HOURS AT CRUISE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK CAP HAD BEEN PUT ON WITH THE PRESSURIZATION TUBE FACING AFT INSTEAD OF FORWARD INTO THE SLIPSTREAM. BOTH THE PILOT AND THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT FELT THAT THE BACKWARDS CAP HAD SIPHONED OFF SOME OF THE FUEL, LEADING TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION OR OTHER SOURCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.