Piper PA-28-140 accident near Mccammon, Idaho, April 15, 2005
On April 15, 2005 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N8715E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mccammon, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the pilot's inadequate in-flight decision/planning by failing to refuel while en route, resulting in fuel exhaustion. Factors contributing to the accident included the trees and fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2005 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mccammon, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N8715E · no longer on the register · serial 28-7625149
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to departing on the second leg of the cross-country flight the pilot filled both fuel tanks to capacity, 48 usable gallons, equating to 4.8 hours of flight time. After completing the second leg of the flight, which took 3 hours and 35 minutes (3.58 hours), and unable to purchase fuel at the intermediate stop, the pilot calculated he had 1.22 hours of fuel remaining, more than enough to fly 65 miles to another airport where fuel was available. Approximately 20 minutes into the flight the engine began to run rough. The pilot switched tanks, which resulted in the engine running normal, but just as he was about to proceed to an alternate airport the second tank ran dry and the engine quit. An emergency landing to a field resulted in the airplane touching down, bouncing, and impacting two small trees. The airplane then struck a raised driveway before being launched back into the air and hitting the ground, shearing off both the front and left main landing gear. The aircraft came to rest in an upright position after sliding through a barbed wire fence. An FAA inspector confirmed the lack of fuel in both fuel tanks and substantial damage to both wings. The inspector also observed a homemade placard located above the fuel gage panel which read, "FUEL GAGES MAY INDICATE AS MUCH AS 2 1/2 GALLONS WHEN TANKS ARE EMPTY". The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident, which would have prevented normal operations.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 98 hours in all; 93 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MLD Malad City ID
- Destination: PIH Pocatello ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.