Piper PA-25-235 N8586L

Summary

On 22 May 2004 at about 16:30 local time, a Piper PA-25-235 registered N8586L, operated by Ron Seelhoff, was involved in an accident near Flagler, Colorado, United States. One person was 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

22 May 2004 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Flagler, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.2750, -104.0717

Aircraft

Piper PA-25-235

Registration

N8586L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ron Seelhoff

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Flagler → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN04CA073

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. Factors contributing to the accident were the low altitude, low airspeed, and the inoperative fuel quantity gauge.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said he was aerial spraying 15 miles south of Flagler, Colorado. He said he refueled the airplane the load before the accident with 15 to 20 gallons of fuel. The pilot reported his bubble fuel gage indicated he had 10 to 15 gallons of fuel. The pilot said he was in a turn, reversing course to make his last pass on a field before returning to the airstrip. About 200 feet above the ground, the engine lost power. The pilot said he leveled the wings, put the nose down, and thought he would be okay. He said however, he had no airspeed to flare and hit the ground hard. The airplane's main landing gear and right wing were broken aft. The pilot said he was "100 percent certain" that he ran out of fuel. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.