On July 4, 1985, a Piper PA-24-250 (registration N7198P) was involved in an aviation accident near Santa Maria, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to ensure adequate fuel supply for the flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing short of the airport. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot reported running out of fuel while on base leg and landed short, striking a fence and tree during the landing roll after flying for nearly two hours.
What happened
The pilot communicated with the control tower while the aircraft was established on the base leg of the traffic pattern. During this transmission, the pilot reported that the aircraft had exhausted its fuel supply. Consequently, the aircraft landed short of the runway threshold. During the subsequent landing roll, the aircraft impacted a fence and subsequently struck a tree.
The investigation
Post-accident recovery personnel examined the aircraft to determine the status of the fuel system. They confirmed that the wing tanks contained no remaining fuel at the time of inspection.
Findings
The pilot stated that the aircraft was fueled with 45 gallons prior to departure. He reported flying for 1 hour and 39 minutes before the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. The impact with the fence and tree resulted in damage to the aircraft structure.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to ensure adequate fuel supply for the flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing short of the airport.
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