On October 31, 1997, a Piper PA-32R-300 (registration N1655H) was involved in an aviation accident near Santa Rosa, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft lost engine power while executing an ILS approach to Sonoma County Airport, making a forced landing in a vineyard about half a mile short of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Fuel gauges read zero and no propeller rotation was noted at impact.
Accident Details
A twin-engine airplane was conducting an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to Runway 32 at Sonoma County Airport when it experienced a loss of engine power. The pilot executed a forced landing in a vineyard approximately half a mile short of the runway. The aircraft was substantially damaged in the landing.
Post-Accident Observations
An on-site Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigator reported that there was no smell of fuel upon his arrival at the accident scene. However, fire department personnel who arrived earlier stated that they had detected a fuel odor. When the aircraft master switch was turned on, both the left and right fuel gauges indicated zero. Additionally, there was no evidence that the propeller was rotating at the time the airplane struck the ground.