NTSB Factual Report

On August 2, 2003, about 1301 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31-310, registered to and operated by a private owner as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight crashed into an orange grove in Jupiter, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had initially been filed. The private-rated pilot and one passenger received minor injuries, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated in Canton, Ohio, the same day, about 0830.

The pilot stated that he and his wife departed from the Canton Regional Airport, Canton, Ohio, shortly after 0800, en route to Fort Lauderdale Florida, to attend a conference aboard a cruise ship, scheduled to leave port Everglades, Florida, at 1700. He further stated that when he departed, both fuel tanks were full of fuel, and the fuel selectors were set to the inboard tanks. During the en route phase, he said he leaned the fuel mixture to establish a burn rate of 15.5 gallons per hour for each engine, and maintained this setting throughout the remainder of the flight, until the initial descent. After 1 1/2 hours the fuel gauges pertaining to the inboard tanks showed half a tank of fuel for both tanks. At this point, the pilot said he switched to the outboard tanks which were full of fuel. He said the outboard tanks were then used for the following 2 hours, until the fuel gauges showed that the tanks were 1/4 full. He further said that he believed enough fuel remained in the inboard tanks to reach his destination, and still have the required reserve for VFR operations. While descending to 2,500 feet, the pilot said he was vectored around thunderstorms, and when approximately 12 miles north of Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) the left engine began to surge. At that point, he noticed that both of the inboard fuel gauges showed that the tanks were empty, so he selected the outboard tanks, which had both their indicators showing 1/4 full. The pilot said that 2 minutes later both engines began to surge again, and he then made an emergency radio communications call requesting vectors to the nearest airport. He was advised of the Tailwinds Airport, Jupiter, Florida, which was located 4 miles to the west of his location, but he was unable to reach it, so he made a forced landing in an orange grove. The pilot also said that prior to the accident there had not been any mechanical failure or malfunction to the airplane or any of its systems.

An FAA inspector who responded to the accident scene, stated that he observed no evidence of fuel at the scene. Follow-on examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies with the airplane, its fuel system, or its engines.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to adequately plan for the flight which resulted in fuel exhaustion, a forced landing, and damage to the airplane during the landing.