Piper PA-34-220T N2463M

Summary

On 12 July 2003 at about 00:50 local time, a Piper PA-34-220T registered N2463M was involved in an accident near Burnet, Texas, United States. 3 people were 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

12 July 2003 at 00:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Burnet, Texas, United States

Coordinates

30.7389, -98.2383

Aircraft

Piper PA-34-220T

Registration

N2463M

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dallas → Georgetown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

IAD03LA064

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to properly manage the airplane's fuel supply which led to the total loss of engine power, due to fuel starvation. A factor contributing to the accident was the presence of trees in the landing area used by the pilot to perform the emergency landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he visually checked the fuel on the morning of the accident and noted that the left and right fuel tanks had about 55 gallons of fuel in each. He then flew about 1.5 hours and landed at an airport. When he departed from that airport to fly back to the origination point, he did not visually check the fuel prior to the flight. During the return flight he noticed that the fuel quantity gauge for the left fuel tank was "dropping at an excessive rate." As a precaution, he diverted to a nearby airport. At approximately 4,000 feet, both engines sputtered and subsequently lost power within a few seconds of each other. Realizing he could not make the airport, the pilot performed an off field landing into trees. At the time of the power loss, he remembered the right tank was indicating about 20 gallons, and the left tank was indicating about 10 gallons. No fire, defoliation of vegetation, or a significant amount of liquid fuel was noted at the accident site; however, a small amount of residual fuel, and an odor of fuel was noted. Due to the compromised fuel system that resulted from impact forces, the presence of fuel on board at the time of the accident could not be positively ascertained. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunction with the engines, fuel strainers, or fuel selector valves. The right fuel selector valve was found between the OFF and X-FEED positions. The left fuel selector valve was found half way between the OFF and LEFT position; however, impact damage could have altered the position of the valves. Near simultaneous power loss can occur as a result of fuel exhaustion of both wing tanks while the fuel selector valves are in the normal position (each tank feeding each engine), or fuel exhaustion of one of the two fuel tanks while the fuel selector valves are on cross feed to both engines from the empty tank.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.