The pilot reported that he departed with about 40 to 45 gallons of fuel for a calculated 3.9-tach-hour flight with a 10 gallon per hour fuel burn.
He added that, en route, the Piper PA-28’s engine sputtered, and he knew the right fuel tank was empty.
He switched to the left fuel tank and continued to the destination airport.
About 30 minutes from the destination airport, the engine sputtered and experienced a total loss of power. During the forced landing near Addison, Texas, the airplane landed in a parking lot and hit a pole.
The pilot reported that the airplane “ran out of gas.”
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
NTSB Identification: GAA18CA264
This May 2018 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Was it 40 or 45 gallons? The difference is 1/2 hour of flight.
Aside from catastrophic airframe failure, my biggest fear is running out of fuel. I calculate 2x and always know my alternates.
This is the same type person that will drive a car cross country and run out of gas in the middle of the desert.
“The pilot reported that he departed with about 40 to 45 gallons of fuel for a calculated 3.9-tach-hour flight with a 10 gallon per hour fuel burn.”
First Paragraph says it all. Carried roughly exact amount of fuel needed for the flight without considering contingency, alternate or reserve fuel.
When I taught regularly I told my students, “You can search all of the dictionaries in every language on the planet. You will not find one word to alibi you if you run out of gas in an airplane.”
The crash is NOT due to running out of gas. It’s due to poor planning and poor operation of the plane by the pilot.