Piper PA-34 N4354A

Summary

On 17 December 2001 at about 14:15 local time, a Piper PA-34 registered N4354A was involved in an accident near Clinton, Missouri, United States. 3 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

17 December 2001 at 14:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Clinton, Missouri, United States

Nearest airport

Clinton Memorial Airport (GLY)

Coordinates

38.3701, -93.7608

Aircraft

Piper PA-34

Registration

N4354A

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Springfield → Kansas City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI02LA052

2 people had minor injuries.

the pilot's inadequate prefight, his failure to feather the propellers, and the fuel exhaustion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a field, 500 feet short of the runway. While in cruise flight at 8,000 feet msl on an IFR flight plan, the airplane lost power on one engine. An emergency was declared and the airplane was given radar vectors to an airport. The pilot made a visual approach to the airport, but on final approach, the airplane lost power to the remaining engine and landed short of the runway. The pilot reported that during preflight he did not visually verify the fuel load by removing the fuel caps and looking into the fuel tanks, since there was "...standing water in the fuel caps and a moderate rainfall at near freezing [temperatures] and I did not want to contaminate my fuel." He reported that during taxi for takeoff the fuel gages read 1/2 full. He reported he expected to be able to return "...with just over an hour of fuel on board and leaving on a 45 minute flight." He reported that, "20 minutes into the flight my fuel gages began falling to empty." He reported, "30 miles west of GLY the right engine quit [.] I secured the engine and declared the emergency." The pilot requested radar vectors for GLY. The pilot reported he found a hole in the clouds and descended through it. He reported he was, "...getting established on a short final [when] the left engine quit with the aircraft settling short of the runway." The inspection of the airplane revealed there was no fuel in the tanks and neither propeller was found in the feathered position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.