Piper PA-30 N7845Y
5 April 1998 · McMechen, West Virginia, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 5 April 1998 at about 20:38 local time, a Piper PA-30 registered N7845Y was involved in an accident near McMechen, West Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:38
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- McMechen, West Virginia, United States
- Nearest airport
- Marshall County Airport (74D)
- Coordinates
- 39.9796, -80.7306
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30
- Registration
- N7845Y
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Moundsville → Wheeling
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- IAD98FA042
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate pre-flight planning and preparation which resulted in fuel exhaustion during takeoff.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Three days prior to the accident flight, the pilot/owner landed at his home airport where no fuel was available. The pilot reported to witnesses that during the flight home he had run the auxiliary tanks empty and had nearly exhausted his fuel supply. On the day of the accident, the pilot researched area airports for fuel prices 'cheaper' than the nearest fuel stop, and stated he had '...an hour's worth of fuel on board.' Immediately after takeoff, witnesses described a loss of engine power on one and then both engines. The airplane collided with terrain 3 miles from the departure airport. Examination of the wreckage revealed approximately one gallon of fuel on board with no evidence of spillage at the scene. Both fuel selectors were in the 'crossfeed' position. The fuel system was recently overhauled and all fuel pumps were operational. Examination of the airframe and engines revealed no pre-impact anomalies. Examination of fuel records and aircraft flight times revealed the airplane had flown approximately 5 hours after its last fuel service.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-30 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Aug 1998 | Piper PA-30 | Dayton, Ohio, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Jun 1998 | Piper PA-30 | Everett, Washington, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 May 1998 | Piper PA-30 | Hendersonville, North Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Jul 1998 | Piper PA-30 | Watkins, Colorado, United States | Arthur E. Dodd | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 1998 | Piper PA-30-39 | Greenville, North Carolina, United States | Robert S. Ridgway | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jun 1998 | Piper PA-30 | Floyd, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul 1998 | Beechcraft BE24 | Beckley, West Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 1998 | Cessna 150M | Wiley Ford, West Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Feb 1998 | Beechcraft C-90 | Newton, West Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 12 May 1998 | Beechcraft A36 | Davis, West Virginia, United States | Howard L. Kidman | Fatal | 4 |
| 8 Feb 1998 | Mooney M20J | Davis, West Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 1998 | Cessna 152 | Philippi, West Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |