Piper PA-31-350 accident near Garden Valley, Idaho, July 3, 1999
On July 3, 1999 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N3528Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Garden Valley, Idaho. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people had minor injuries; 6 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion because the pilot failed to refuel the airplane. A ditch in the landing area was a contributing factor in the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 1999 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Garden Valley, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 6 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N3528Y · no longer on the register · serial 317952149
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while in cruise configuration, the low fuel pressure lights illuminated and the left engine began to surge. The pilot selected cross-feed and the engine functioned normally . Three to four minutes after selecting cross-feed, the left engine began to surge again. With the right engine still operating, the pilot secured the left engine and executed a forced landing in an open field. During the landing roll, the aircraft collided with a ditch and the nose gear collapsed, causing substantial damage to the aircraft's fuselage. An FAA inspector inspected the aircraft after the accident and reported that there was no evidence of fuel in the aircraft's fuel tanks. He also stated the fuel system was not breached and there was no evidence of a preexisting fuel leak. In a written statement, the pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft at the time of the accident.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,050 hours in all; 35 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,559 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 3, 1999; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,368 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Salmon Air, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SMN Salmon ID at 5:20 pm
- Destination: BOI Boise ID
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from BOI, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 5 |
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.