No fatalities

25 Aug 2016: PIPER J5A — Sterling, AK

Sterling, AK, United States

On 25 Aug 2016, a PIPER J5A was involved in an aviation accident near Sterling, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to properly manage fuel led to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing on a road that was too narrow for the aircraft. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot was forced to perform an emergency landing on a narrow road after running out of fuel during a local flight.

What happened

While returning from a local flight, the pilot intentionally ran the right fuel tank dry. Following the depletion of the right tank, the pilot attempted to switch to the other fuel tank and restart the engine, but the attempt failed.

In an effort to land, the pilot performed an emergency landing on a narrow road. During the maneuver, the right wing struck brush and trees, causing the aircraft to turn toward the right. The impact resulted in substantial damage to both wings.

Findings

  • The pilot's improper fuel management led to the engine failure.
  • The aircraft experienced fuel exhaustion during the flight.

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to properly manage fuel led to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing on a road that was too narrow for the aircraft.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotFluid managementFluid level

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome