Piper PA-28-181 N8155C

Summary

On 28 October 2007 at about 00:12 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N8155C, operated by Kemper Aviation, was involved in an accident near Boynton Beach, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 October 2007 at 00:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Boynton Beach, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Palm Beach County Park Airport (LNA)

Coordinates

26.5114, -80.1044

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N8155C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Kemper Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

West Palm Beach → Boynton Beach

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

NYC08FA020

2 people died.

A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilots' improper in-flight fuel management.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly before the end of a planned 2-hour night instructional instrument flight, at an altitude of about 1,000 feet above the ground, the airplane’s engine lost power. The certificated flight instructor directed the certificated private pilot to perform a forced landing to a golf course, but while on final approach the airplane impacted trees and cartwheeled. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right fuel tank was intact but empty. The left fuel tank was breached but contained approximately 6 gallons of fuel, and an accident site soil analysis indicated a fuel spill of approximately 20 to 30 gallons. The electric fuel pump switch was found in the “on” position and the fuel selector valve was found with right fuel tank selected. Performance data indicated that the flight would have consumed approximately 25 gallons, or about half of the total fuel on board when the airplane took off. The surviving passenger reported that after the loss of engine power, both pilots were concentrating on finding a suitable landing spot, which was difficult due to the darkness, rather than troubleshooting the loss of engine power. The pilot operating handbook states that any time fuel starvation is suspected during flight, the fuel selector should immediately be positioned to the other tank and the electric fuel pump switched to the “on” position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.