Casualties unknown

1996-09-27: Piper PA-31-310 (N151JP) — Wassau Island, GA

Wassau Island, GA, US

On September 27, 1996, a Piper PA-31-310 (registration N151JP) was involved in an aviation accident near Wassau Island, GA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's inadequate preflight and planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards

During a flight, the pilot reported both engines lost power. After ATC vectors to an airport, the pilot chose to land on a beach. Investigation found no fuel in the tanks with no signs of leakage.

Accident Details

The flight was airborne for approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes when the pilot reported to Approach Control that the airplane's engines had lost power. The pilot stated, 'the right engine quit, shortly thereafter the left engine quit.' Air traffic control provided vectors to an airport, but after sighting the airport, the pilot determined it was 'too far to make a safe landing' and elected to land on the beach instead.

Passenger Account

According to one of the passengers, after the engines failed, the pilot 'tried many tricks to get down...switched fuel tanks, pumps on/off etc...to no avail.' The pilot also mentioned that the 'fuel gauges [were] giving faulty readings' but did not specify the amount of fuel onboard at the time of the failure or whether the airplane had been serviced with fuel before departure.

Investigation Findings

When FAA personnel arrived at the wreckage, they found no fuel in the fuel tanks. None of the fuel tanks had been breached, and there were no signs of any fuel leakage.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001208X06792. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.