Piper PA 24-250 accident near New Braunfels, Texas, May 2, 2014
On May 2, 2014 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1961 Piper PA 24-250, registered N7308P, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near New Braunfels, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and inflight decision making.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 2014 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- New Braunfels, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 24-250 250, built 1961 · all PA 24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N7308P · no longer on the register · serial 24-2483
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot with three passengers planned to depart and return on a cross-country flight. The pilot stated that the airplane's left fuel tank was filled to an inch below the collar, and the right fuel tank was filled to two inches below the collar. He estimated that the airplane had 40-45 gallons of fuel on board, with a planned en route time of 57 minutes, and about a 10 knot tailwind. Once at a cruise altitude of 7,500 feet, he set the manifold pressure at 21 inches and engine rpm at 2,300 for a fuel burn of 12.3 gallons/hr per the pilot operating handbook. The pilot reported for the return leg he again visually checked the fuel level in each tank. He estimated 12-15 gallons in the left tank and 10 in the right, for a total of 22-25 gallons. The pilot added that fuel burn seemed normal and he decided not to add fuel, he also stated that estimations are not an accurate science and that a fuel stick was not provided to confirm the fuel level. After departing for the return flight, he switched fuel tanks from the left side to the right side. About 15 minutes later, the pilot noticed a reduction in power and switched back to the left side fuel tank. Engine power was restored, and the pilot stated that he did not feel that the fuel had been exhausted from the right side based on his calculations. A few minutes later, the engine lost power and the pilot preformed a forced landing to a construction site. A post-crash examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage and left wing during the forced landing. Additionally, the fuel tanks were empty and were not breached in the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 397 hours in all; 7.5 in this make and model; 10.3 in the last 90 days; 6.1 in the last 30 days; 345 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 23, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,899 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming 0-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Anderson Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: KDWH Houston TX at 9:58 pm
- Destination: 1T8 Bulverde TX
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from KBAZ, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N7308P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.