Piper PA-24-250 N7967P

Summary

On 26 May 1997 at about 23:30 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N7967P was involved in an accident near Ward, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 May 1997 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Ward, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

35.0107, -91.9500

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N7967P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Searcy → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW97LA198

1 person was seriously injured.

The loss of engine power resulting from fuel starvation due to the pilot's mismanagement of available fuel. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of the flight was to fly to a nearby airport, practice touch and go landings, and return. He anticipated the local flight to be about 1 hour. During the preflight, the pilot inspected the fuel and noted that the 'left main [tank] was down quite a bit', the 'left auxiliary [tank] was down some', the 'right main [tank] was down slightly', and the right auxiliary [tank] was full.' He recalled that when he flew the airplane last (the previous week), he had switched from using the left main tank to the right main tank, and flew for about 30 minutes on the right main tank. He further reported that, he did not have access to the fuel tank on the field so he did not top off the fuel tanks. After departure, the pilot flew to the nearby airport, and made 3 or 4 landings to a full stop. While on the return flight, the engine lost power and the pilot was forced to land in heavily wooded terrain. Examination of the wreckage at the accident site by an FAA inspector revealed that the left and right main fuel tanks were empty, the left auxiliary tank was 1/2 to 3/4 full and the right auxiliary fuel tank was full. The fuel selector handle was found in the 'fuel off' position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.