Piper PA-24-250 N7213P

Summary

On 2 December 2001 at about 02:30 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N7213P, operated by Matthew T. Jones, was involved in an accident near Prescott, Arizona, 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

2 December 2001 at 02:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Prescott, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Ernest A. Love Field (PRC)

Coordinates

34.6544, -112.4197

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N7213P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Matthew T. Jones

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Los Angeles → Prescott

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX02LA036

2 people had minor injuries.

Fuel starvation on final approach due to the pilot's fuel mismanagement, and his inattentiveness in following established prelanding procedures.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After flying for 2 hours the airplane arrived at the destination airport. Upon entering the traffic pattern the left seated pilot performed a prelanding check. However, he did not reposition the fuel tank selector from the nearly empty right auxiliary fuel tank to a main tank. Seconds after turning onto the final approach leg, the pilot performed another prelanding check. Again, he did not reposition the fuel tank selector away from the right auxiliary tank. Seconds thereafter, the engine sputtered and lost all power. The pilot then tried to reposition the fuel tank selector, but the pilot-rated passenger had already accomplished that task. Engine power was restored just prior to the airplane impacting a berm, about 500 feet short of the runway. The left seated pilot held commercial and certified flight instructor certificates. He had about 612 total flight hours including 32 hours in Comanches. The right seated pilot-rated passenger also held commercial and certified flight instructor certificates. He had about 1,740 total flight hours, including 40 hours in Comanches. The subsequent airplane examination revealed that the left auxiliary fuel tank and the two main tanks jointly contained a total of 50 gallons of fuel. The right auxiliary fuel tank was dry.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.