On May 2, 1997, a Piper PA-23 (registration N1044P) was involved in an aviation accident near Washington, DC. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot misread the fuel quantity, resulting in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During approach to Dulles International Airport, an airplane lost power in both engines and impacted trees about 1000 feet short of runway 1. The pilot reported misreading the fuel quantity.
Incident Details
While en route, the right engine lost power. The pilot alerted air traffic control and was vectored to Dulles International Airport. The pilot reported having the airport in sight when the left engine also lost power. He notified air traffic control that he would not reach the runway, and the airplane subsequently impacted trees approximately 1000 feet short of runway 1.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated that during flight planning, he misread the fuel quantity for the airplane as 108 gallons, which corresponds to the auxiliary tank configuration. He noted that he did not realize the mistake until after the accident occurred.
Probable cause
The pilot misread the fuel quantity, resulting in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power.
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