Piper PA-31-310 Navajo crash, May 2, 1992, Independence
Piper PA-31-310 Navajo accident on May 2, 1992 near Independence, California, United States with no fatalities. Cause: Fuel starvation caused by the...
- Date: May 2, 1992
- Aircraft: Piper PA-31-310 Navajo
- Location: Independence, California, United States
- Fatalities: 0
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: Fuel starvation caused by the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and fuel management and by operating with a known electrical deficiency, a deteriorated battery and his limited recent experience.
A Piper Navajo that had been parked for about nine months had a dead battery, and the pilot flew it without replacing the battery. The next day, with a dead battery again, it was started with a ground power cart and flown on a cross-country trip. Both engines quit on the auxiliary tanks, the pilot made a forced landing in an alfalfa field, and the aircraft hit power lines. Nobody was killed.