Piper PA-32-300 accident near Bluffton, Ohio, August 4, 2002
On August 4, 2002 at about 2:25 am local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N110CF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bluffton, Ohio (Bluffton Airport). 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 pilot's fuel mismanagement with his failure to position the fuel selector to the proper tank which resulted in engine fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 2002 · about 2:25 am local time
- Place
- Bluffton, Ohio · Bluffton Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N110CF · no longer on the register · serial 32-7540003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was serviced with a full load of fuel, and the pilot completed two flights without incident. The pilot then departed on a third flight. After completing the en route portion, and while preparing to land, the engine lost all power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine, and executed a forced landing to a field. The airplane touched down, rolled about 400 feet, the nose wheel collapsed, and the airplane came to a sudden stop. The accident flight was conducted with the fuel selector in the right outboard position, and at engine start, the selected tank had approximately 23.5 gallons of usable fuel. Fuel calculations done during the course of the investigation showed that approximately 22.0 gallons of fuel was required to complete the flight with no reserve. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the right outboard tank was intact and empty.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 444 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 399 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 16, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,677 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 2002; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5G7 Bluffton OH at 1:15 am
- Destination: 5G7
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from FDY, 14 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 N110CF 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.