Another Navajo Landing on a Road

[pelmet]

Looks like another Navajo had to land on a road.....

"C-FEHB a private Piper Navajo PA 31-310 aircraft was on a VFR flight plan from Hopedale,
Newfoundland and Labrador (CYHO) to Springdale Newfoundland and Labrador (CCD2). When
the aircraft was 35 NM NNW of Springdale the #2 engine began to lose power while in cruise flight.
The pilot completed an in-flight shutdown of the engine and continued toward CYHO. The aircraft
had progressed another 10 NM toward destination when the #1 engine began to lose power and
the aircraft could not maintain altitude. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft toward Route 412 and
conducted a forced approach to the highway. At approximately 1620 NDT the aircraft landed
successfully 26 NM NNW of CCD2 without injury to the occupants or damage to the aircraft. The
aircraft was relocated to a gravel pit off to the side of the Route 412.
An Aircraft Maintenance Engineer inspected the aircraft and found that all fuel tanks were empty.
Fuel was added and both engines were run-up for approximately 20 minutes without issue. The
aircraft was flown back to CCD2 without further incident."

[lownslow]

Cranial-rectal inversion notwithstanding, sounds like they did a pretty good job of setting it down if it could be fuelled, run up, and flown home after.

[rigpiggy]

Methinks someone from tcca will be having a talk with him

[trey kule]

I would be interested to hear in these fuel starvation accidents/incidents, the pilot’s thinking that got them to that point.

It would be a good topic for pdm seminars.

[piperdriver]

the pilot’s thinking that got them to that point.

I think "lack of thinking that got them to that point," would be a more accurate statement.

[trey kule]

It is easy to dismiss it out of hand, but as it happens, the question comes can we learn anything from their thinking prior to departure.

This unfortunately happens far too often, the third time for a Navajo right off the top of my head

Years ago I went in a rethink of fresh CPLs. They arrived with all the right catch phrases for having enough fuel. But few, very few actually knew how to manage fuel when they got into the real world and could not depart every time with full fuel.

Now I have some more time to look into this, I feel it is worthwhile.

That being said, and because the very real mocking and shame will be heaped upon them, anyone who has helpful advice, please feel welcome to PM me.

[jschnurr]

Here's my low fuel story:
A few years ago, was PIC on an overnight charter flight in Manitoba. Our overnight destination was one of these uncontrolled and unstaffed places that "had" fuel, but there was no one there to unlock the pumps, or handle the barrels. And no cell service. I had planned to pick up fuel, because it would have been tight but doable to make the trip without it. The aircraft was a PA31-310 - the short navajo.

At the hotel that night, I called the number for the fueller. No answer. Left a message.
In the morning, checked the weather. IFR to Winnipeg, and Dauphin worked as an alternate. Phoned the fuel guy again, no answer. Headed to the airport. Passengers came. I looked at the fuel gauges, and thought we "probably have enough..." Based on our expected fuel burn and weather, we did have enough for the trip. It would be tight, but we had enough. No fuel guy showed up. Passengers were ready to go, and they had to be back to make a connecting flight in Winnipeg.

We get airborne, and those fuel gauges look a bit lower than they should. Run some numbers with our Groundspeed, and looks like we won't make it to the alternate if we miss. Weather in Winnipeg is something like 400 and 2sm, so not bad, but not VFR either. The weather has been deteriorating, but there's still a high probability we could make it to YWG, and our passengers will make their connection. But if we had to go missed, there's a very good chance that we wouldn't make it to our alternate.

We were coming over Pinedock (are those guys still open these days?), which was VFR, and I knew they had fuel. Should I make a quick stop for fuel and risk our passengers missing their connection? Or press on with a good probability of making it into Winnipeg, but a slight chance of going missed without fuel to go to an alternate? This was shaping up to be the perfect storm, and there was nothing I could've done to avoid it: deteriorating weather, stronger headwinds, higher fuel burn, pressure from passengers, lower than expected fuel... To stop or continue was the hardest decision I had to make up to that point as a PIC.





I decided to stop for fuel in Pinedock. I didn't want to be one of those guys you read about in the news. And our passengers ended up making their connection.

[RedAndWhiteBaron]

Here's my low fuel story:
<snip>
I decided to stop for fuel in Pinedock. I didn't want to be one of those guys you read about in the news. And our passengers ended up making their connection.

I'm curious - did you get much grief from your passengers?

And I agree, reading that story and comparing it investigations I've read, it has many of the classic hallmarks of so many accidents - one small miscalculation snowballs into a parade of errors, and everyone dies.

[jschnurr]

I'm curious - did you get much grief from your passengers?

No, they knew I tried to get fuel at our destination and it didn't show up. When we stopped in Pinedock I told them it will only be a few minutes. I think some of them had to use the restroom and that took longer than getting fuel.

[rookiepilot]

Here's my low fuel story:
A few years ago, was PIC on an overnight charter flight in Manitoba. Our overnight destination was one of these uncontrolled and unstaffed places that "had" fuel, but there was no one there to unlock the pumps, or handle the barrels. And no cell service. I had planned to pick up fuel, because it would have been tight but doable to make the trip without it. The aircraft was a PA31-310 - the short navajo.

At the hotel that night, I called the number for the fueller. No answer. Left a message.
In the morning, checked the weather. IFR to Winnipeg, and Dauphin worked as an alternate. Phoned the fuel guy again, no answer. Headed to the airport. Passengers came. I looked at the fuel gauges, and thought we "probably have enough..." Based on our expected fuel burn and weather, we did have enough for the trip. It would be tight, but we had enough. No fuel guy showed up. Passengers were ready to go, and they had to be back to make a connecting flight in Winnipeg.

We get airborne, and those fuel gauges look a bit lower than they should. Run some numbers with our Groundspeed, and looks like we won't make it to the alternate if we miss. Weather in Winnipeg is something like 400 and 2sm, so not bad, but not VFR either. The weather has been deteriorating, but there's still a high probability we could make it to YWG, and our passengers will make their connection. But if we had to go missed, there's a very good chance that we wouldn't make it to our alternate.

We were coming over Pinedock (are those guys still open these days?), which was VFR, and I knew they had fuel. Should I make a quick stop for fuel and risk our passengers missing their connection? Or press on with a good probability of making it into Winnipeg, but a slight chance of going missed without fuel to go to an alternate? This was shaping up to be the perfect storm, and there was nothing I could've done to avoid it: deteriorating weather, stronger headwinds, higher fuel burn, pressure from passengers, lower than expected fuel... To stop or continue was the hardest decision I had to make up to that point as a PIC.





I decided to stop for fuel in Pinedock. I didn't want to be one of those guys you read about in the news. And our passengers ended up making their connection.

Good story.