Piper PA-38-112 N498DS accident near Rockingham, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, after flying for about 4 hours, the engine lost total power about 2 miles form the destination airport and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s fuselage and right wing. The pilot described that the fuel consumption during the accident flight was higher than he had expected based on the fuel consumption that he had calculated on previous flights. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane after the accident and confirmed that both of the fuel tanks were absent of fuel. In the “Recommendation” section of the NTSB Pilot/Operator Accident Report, the pilot stated that “a more accurate way to determine actual fuel on board and a higher reserve might have prevented this accident.” Based on this information, it’s likely that the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA23LA089 for the full record.