Piper PA-32R accident near Fargo, North Dakota, July 8, 1999
On July 8, 1999 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-32R, registered N8451E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fargo, North Dakota. 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
fuel starvation due to the pilot's fuel mismanagement and the pilot's misjudgment of the landing flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 1999 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Fargo, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R · all PA-32Rs on the register
- Registration
- N8451E · no longer on the register · serial 32R-8113122
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported the airplane had 70 gallons of fuel (3.5 hours) on board at departure. The flight lasted approximately 3.0 hours. The pilot reported that during the pre-landing checklist, the left fuel gauge indicated 10 to 11 gallons when the engine quit. The pilot switched the fuel selector to the right fuel tank that indicated 8 gallons, but switched the fuel selector back to the left tank since the left fuel gauge indicated more fuel. An engine restart was attempted, but it would not start. The pilot flared several feet high, the stall warning horn sounded, and the airplane landed hard. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the left fuel tank contained .75 gallons of fuel. The right fuel tank was compromised during landing. The fuel gauges were checked by putting 5 gallons of fuel in the left fuel tank and 5 gallons of fuel in the repaired right fuel tank. The right fuel gauge read correctly. The left fuel gauge read 3 gallons. The pilot reported that the left fuel gauge had a history of reading inaccurately on an intermittent basis since 1996. The airplane's listed unusable fuel was 5 gallons.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,590 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,179 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 1999; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DSM Des Moines IA at 12:15 pm
- Destination: FAR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from FAR, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N8451E 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.