Piper PA-32R-300 accident near Emporia, Kansas, May 8, 2008
On May 8, 2008 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-32R-300, registered N385WR, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Emporia, Kansas. It was a personal 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
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a blocked fuel outlet caused by the peeling off of a previously approved fuel tank sealer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 2008 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Emporia, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300 · all PA-32R-300s on the register
- Registration
- N385WR · no longer on the register · serial 32R-7680402
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on a 330-nautical-mile cross-country flight in a single-engine airplane. About 30 miles from his destination, and at an altitude of 3,500 feet, he turned on the fuel boost pump and switched fuel tanks. At about 10 miles from his destination airport the "plane got quiet." The pilot cycled the magnetos and fuel tank selector "once or twice." Unable to restart the engine, the pilot then conducted a forced landing in a field. An on-site inspection noted that fuel was present in the airplane's fuel tanks. A follow-on inspection of the airplane found no mechanical or electrical problem with the engine. However, the left inboard fuel tank appeared to have large sections of "sloshing" compound peeling from the tanks walls, blocking the fuel tank outlet. A review of maintenance records revealed that the left inboard fuel tank was treated with (sloshing compound) fuel tank sealer in February 1996. At the time of the application, the procedure was acceptable per the airplane's manufacturers service manual. The review also noted that the manufacturer's service bulletin, dated May 16, 2005, no longer recognized the compound as an approved sealer, and that the sloshing procedure should be removed from all service manuals. Additionally, the service bulletin did not contain additional instructions with regards to tanks that had been previously repaired using the sealer.
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 contamination during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel storage › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 112 hours in all; 56 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 112 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 18, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,934 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2008
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TI0-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: T-N-J Trucking INC
The flight
- Departed from: KTDW Tradewinds TX at 6:45 pm
- Destination: KEMP Emporia KS
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.69 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KEMP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.