Piper PA 46 accident near Prescott, Arizona, May 30, 2018
On May 30, 2018 at about 4:15 am local time, a 1986 Piper PA 46, registered N148ME, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Prescott, Arizona (Ernest A Love Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2018 · about 4:15 am local time
- Place
- Prescott, Arizona · Ernest A Love Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 46, built 1986 · all PA 46s on the register
- Registration
- N148ME · no longer on the register · serial 46-8608009
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, about 15 minutes before reaching the destination airport during descent, the engine lost power. The pilot switched fuel tanks, and the engine power was momentarily restored, but the engine stopped producing power even though he thought it "was still running all the way to impact." The pilot conducted a forced landed on a highway at night, and the right wing struck an object and separated from the airplane. The airplane came to rest inverted. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector (ASI) that performed the postaccident airplane examination, the fuel lines to the fuel manifold were dry, and the fuel manifold valves were dry. He reported that the fuel strainer, the diaphragm, and the fuel filter in the duel manifold were unremarkable. Fuel was found in the gascolator. The FAA ASI reported that, during his interview with the pilot, "the pilot changed his story from fuel exhaustion, to fuel contamination." The inspector reported that there were no signs of fuel contamination during the examination of the fuel system. According to the fixed-base operator (FBO) at the departure airport, the pilot requested 20 gallons of fuel. He then canceled his fuel request and walked out of the FBO.
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 (descent) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute (descent)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing
- Roll over during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,100 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 27, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 4,118 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: 1St Avenue Malibu Services LLC
The flight
- Departed from: SNA Santa Ana CA at 2:40 am
- Destination: PRC Prescott AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 am from KPRC, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 29, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Telephone Interviews | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.