Piper PA-34 accident near Clinton, Missouri, December 17, 2001
On December 17, 2001 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-34, registered N4354A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Clinton, Missouri (Clinton Memorial Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate prefight, his failure to feather the propellers, and the fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 2001 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Clinton, Missouri · Clinton Memorial Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34 · all PA-34s on the register
- Registration
- N4354A · no longer on the register · serial 34-8433041
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a field, 500 feet short of the runway. While in cruise flight at 8,000 feet msl on an IFR flight plan, the airplane lost power on one engine. An emergency was declared and the airplane was given radar vectors to an airport. The pilot made a visual approach to the airport, but on final approach, the airplane lost power to the remaining engine and landed short of the runway. The pilot reported that during preflight he did not visually verify the fuel load by removing the fuel caps and looking into the fuel tanks, since there was "...standing water in the fuel caps and a moderate rainfall at near freezing [temperatures] and I did not want to contaminate my fuel." He reported that during taxi for takeoff the fuel gages read 1/2 full. He reported he expected to be able to return "...with just over an hour of fuel on board and leaving on a 45 minute flight." He reported that, "20 minutes into the flight my fuel gages began falling to empty." He reported, "30 miles west of GLY the right engine quit [.] I secured the engine and declared the emergency." The pilot requested radar vectors for GLY. The pilot reported he found a hole in the clouds and descended through it. He reported he was, "...getting established on a short final [when] the left engine quit with the aircraft settling short of the runway." The inspection of the airplane revealed there was no fuel in the tanks and neither propeller was found in the feathered position.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,803 hours in all; 1,439 in this make and model; 99 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 6,091 as pilot in command; 2,410 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 30, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 4,700 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO360 KB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3DW Springfield MO at 1:15 pm
- Destination: MKC Kansas City MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22, 4,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; a few clouds at 100 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 1:27 pm from SZL, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.