Piper PA-32-300 accident near Mcgrath, Alaska, July 23, 1999
On July 23, 1999, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N4811T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mcgrath, Alaska. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper management of the fuel supply, and subsequent fuel starvation. A factor in the accident was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1999
- Place
- Mcgrath, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N4811T · registry record · serial 32-7240086
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was returning to his company base after dropping passengers and freight at two intermediate stops. The distance on the route from the company base airport to the accident site, was about 243 nautical miles. The pilot said he landed at his last intermediate stop with the fuel selector on the right main tank, and departed with the fuel selector on the left main fuel tank. Both the left and right wing tip fuel tanks were full of fuel. While descending toward the company base, the engine quit. The pilot selected the right wing tip tank, turned on the fuel boost pump, and attempted to restart the engine without success. He selected the left wing tip tank, but the engine did not start. The pilot made an emergency landing in a small opening in the trees about 15 miles south of the company base airport. During the landing, the airplane collided with several small trees, and then touched down in soft, boggy terrain. The director of operations for the company responded to the accident scene. He reported the left main fuel tank was empty. Fuel was present in the right main tank, and in each wing tip tank. For flight planning purposes, the director of operations said the company uses a fuel burn of 20 gallons per hour, and an airspeed of 125 knots. An FAA inspector inspected the airplane. The inspector reported the left main tank was empty. Fuel flowed from each fuel tank to the engine, except from the left main tank. After replacing the propeller, the engine was started, and it ran normally. The airplane owner's handbook notes that the fuel selector should be changed to another tank before fuel is exhausted from the tank in use. The handbook also notes that it may take up to ten seconds, after switching fuel tanks, to restore power if fuel exhaustion has occurred.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,845 hours in all; 356 in this make and model; 356 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,637 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 12, 1999; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-KIA5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PASV Sparrevohn Lrrs AK at 6:08 pm
- Destination: PAMC AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PAM, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.