NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 16, 2011, at 1538 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N6085W, collided with power lines and impacted a storage shed in a residential area of Guthrie, Oklahoma, following a total loss of engine power. The pilot was fatally injured. One passenger sustained serious injuries, and another passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident, and a VFR (Visual Flight Rules) flight plan had been filed by the pilot while en route. The flight originated from Gaston’s Resort (K3M0), Lakeview, Arkansas, approximately 1230, and was en route to Guthrie (KGOK).

On Friday, October 14, the pilot fueled the airplane to maximum fuel capacity and flew from KGOK to Norman (KOUN), Oklahoma, a straight-line distance of about 44 miles. The pilot's son and grandson boarded the airplane. They departed KOUN approximately 1245, and flew to K3MO, a fishing resort, arriving there about 1500. The pilot's other son drove to K3MO, and they stayed at the resort for two days.

Because there was no fuel at K3MO, the airplane was not serviced. On the day of the accident, the brothers switched -- one flying and the other driving back to KGOK. The airplane departed K3MO about 1230 and did not land at any airport to refuel. The 11-year-old passenger, who was in the back seat, said the flight was pleasant until they were about 2 or 3 miles from KGOK and he heard his grandfather say they were low on fuel. The grandson fell asleep and was awakened by the crash.

PERSONNEL (CREW) INFORMATION

The 62-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. He also held a third class airman medical certificate, dated November 1, 2010, with the limitation, "Holder shall possess glasses for near and intermediate vision." His last flight review was dated March 21, 2011.

The pilot had three logbooks: the first logbook contained entries from June 25, 1985 to August 30, 1989; the second logbook contained entries from September 23, 1989 to July 4, 2010, and the third logbook contained entries from July 18, 2010, to October 1, 2011 The third logbook indicated the pilot had accrued the following flight times (in hours):

Total time, 883.8

Pilot-in-command, 835.0

Instruction received, 54.5

Day, 822.6

Night, 61.2

Cross-country, 822.6

Simulated instruments, 6.2

Piper PA-28-140, 185.7

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

N6085W, a model PA-28-140 (serial number 28-20099), was manufactured by the Piper Aircraft Corporation in 1964. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320-E2A engine (serial number L-14053-27), rated at 150 horsepower, driving a Sensenich 2-blade, all-metal, fixed-pitch propeller (model number 74DM6-0-60).

According to the airplane maintenance records, the last annual and 100-hour inspections were performed on April 2, 2011, at a total time of 3,505.14 hours. At that time, the engine had accrued 1,708.7 hours since major overhaul. At the accident site, the tachometer read 3,553.1 hours.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The following weather observations were recorded by Guthrie Municipal Airport’s (KGOK) AWOS (Automated Weather Observation System)) at 1453 and 1553, respectively:

Wind, 280 degrees at 10 knots; visibility, 10 miles; sky condition, clear; temperature, 32 degrees C.; dew point 11 degrees C; altimeter, 29.90 inches of Mercury.

Wind, 250 degrees at 8 knots; visibility, 10 miles; sky condition, clear; temperature 32 degrees C.; dew point, 11 degrees C.; altimeter, 29.89 inches of Mercury.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane was found resting against a storage shed in a nose-down, right wing low attitude. The right wing fuel tank was compromised; the left wing fuel tank was empty. The fuel selector was on the left tank, and the electric boost pump was on. The mixture control was rich, and the throttle was midrange and bent. The master and magneto switches were on.

The following is a partial list of observed switch and control positions and instrument settings:

Flaps – Up

Trim – Full nose down

Tachometer – 100 rpm

- 3,553.1

Hobbs meter – 792.1

Clock – 3:38:29 (stopped)Airspeed - 0

Heading indicator – 150 degrees

Altimeter – 3,600 feet

Artificial Horizon – 25 degree left bank

Turn Coordinator – 2x right standard rate turn

Kollsman window – 30.30 in. Hg.

Comm #1 – Digital

Nav #1 - Digital

#1 OBS – 278 degrees

Comm #2 – Between 122.5 and 122.7 MHz (on)

Nav #2 – 114.5 MHz

#2 OBS – 251 degrees

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy on the pilot (#1104209) was performed by Oklahoma’s Office of the Chief Medical Investigator. Death was attributed to “multiple blunt force injuries.”

Toxicology protocols were conducted by both the Federal Aviation Administration’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute and Oklahoma’s Office of the Chief Medical Investigator. Both reports showed negative results for ethyl alcohol, carbon monoxide, cyanide, and drugs.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

The airplane was equipped with two 25-gallon fuel tanks (50 gallons total, of which 48 gallons were useable). Based on the pilot’s son’s report, the airplane had been aloft for approximately 6 hours, 13 minutes. According to the Piper PA-28-140 “Pilot Operating Manual,” fuel consumption would be 8.4 gallons per hour (gph), 7.3 gph, and 6.2 gph at 75, 65, and 55 per cent power, respectively, and total fuel consumption would have been 52, 45, and 38 gallons, respectively.

A Bendix/King AV80R GPS (Global Positioning System) was recovered at the accident site and sent to NTSB’s Vehicle Recorder Laboratory for examination. According to the engineer’s report, the device did not contain a memory card.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.