Piper PA 34 N461RL

Summary

On 12 April 2017 at about 02:52 local time, a Piper PA 34 registered N461RL, operated by Claiborne Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Llano, Texas, 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

12 April 2017 at 02:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Llano, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Llano Muni (AQO)

Coordinates

30.7842, -98.6600

Aircraft

Piper PA 34

Registration

N461RL

Category

Airplane

Year built

1980

Engines

2

Operator

Claiborne Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Horseshoe Bay → San Angelo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

GAA17CA233

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s complacency during the en route phase of flight, which resulted in fuel mismanagement and a subsequent gear-up landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot in the multiengine, retractable-gear-equipped airplane reported that he was flying in instrument meteorological conditions and leveled off at 8,000 ft mean sea level. He began to configure the airplane for cruise flight, and he realized that the right engine cross-feed fuel selector was positioned for the left tank. The left tank fuel indicator displayed empty, and the right fuel indicator displayed 45 gallons remaining. He believed that the fuel indicators had malfunctioned, and he established an approach to a nearby highway intersection. The pilot landed with the landing gear stowed on the asphalt highway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage longerons. Per the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot reported that he became complacent during the flight and vowed to use a checklist in the future. The pilot has coordinated with his local Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team to help prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.