Accident Details
On April 23, 2017, at approximately 1800 central daylight time, a twin-engine Piper PA 31-350, registration N3548J, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Covington, Louisiana. The commercial pilot and a passenger were not injured. The personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
Flight History
The cross-country flight originated at Concordia Parish Airport (0R4) in Vidalia, Louisiana, and was en route to Slidell Airport (ASD) in Slidell, Louisiana. According to the pilot's written statement, he had filled all four fuel tanks before departing ASD at 1130. He first flew from ASD to Destin Executive Airport (DTS) in Destin, Florida, with an estimated en route time of 2 hours and 30 minutes. He then flew from DTS to 0R4, with an estimated en route time of 1 hour and 45 minutes. The pilot did not obtain fuel at either DTS or 0R4.
Loss of Power and Forced Landing
About 25 to 30 minutes after departing 0R4 on the final leg, the left engine lost power. Approximately 10 minutes later, the right engine also lost power. The pilot executed a forced landing in an open field. During the landing roll, the outboard portion of the left wing and the left aileron separated when the left wing struck a tree.
Investigation Findings
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector responded to the accident. When sumping the fuel, he observed a slow, slight stream of fuel from all fuel sumps, recovering less than one ounce from each sump. An examination of the airframe, engines, and related systems revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The recovery team recovered about 1 to 2 quarts of fuel from the entire fuel system; the fuel tanks were otherwise empty.
The Pilot Operating Handbook for the Piper PA 31-350 states a usable fuel capacity of 182 gallons and a fuel burn rate between 26.3 and 43.6 gallons per hour, depending on weight, altitude, temperature, and power settings.