NTSB CAROL · Event
Event GAA18CA184
Registry · N3756W
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
PIPER PA-32-260
Year of manufacture
1966 · 52 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES (250 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19660707
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4499D
Registrant of record
ARANDA JARROD A
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot’s inadequate inflight fuel management and his failure to switch to a fuel tank with adequate fuel, which resulted in fuel starvation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, prior to departure, he estimated that the right tip fuel tank was three-quarters full, about 14 gallons, and each main fuel tank had about 20 gallons of fuel. The pilot reported that, during cruise, he decided to use the right tip fuel tank, even though he was aware that the right tip fuel tank gauge was inoperative. He added that, after about 25-30 minutes, he performed various stall maneuvers before returning to the departure airport to land. The pilot noticed a reduction in engine power, a drop in the manifold pressure, and concluded that the airplane would not be able to return to the airport, so he continued a left-hand turn towards a farm field. The pilot began to troubleshoot for carburetor ice, but to no avail. The airplane landed in the farm field and impacted a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that, during a postaccident examination, it was revealed that the right tip fuel tank was dry and "that the engine lost power due to fuel starvation." The pilot reported that, before departure, he estimated that the right tip fuel tank was three-quarters full (about 14 gallons), and each main fuel tank had about 20 gallons of fuel. The pilot reported that, during cruise, he decided to use the right tip fuel tank, even though he was aware that the right tip fuel tank gauge was inoperative. He added that, after about 25-30 minutes, he performed various stall maneuvers before returning to the departure airport to land. The pilot noticed a reduction in engine power and a drop in the manifold pressure and concluded that the airplane would not be able to return to the airport, so he continued a left turn toward a farm field. The pilot began to troubleshoot for carburetor ice to no avail. The airplane landed in the farm field and impacted a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that, during a postaccident examination, it was revealed that the right tip fuel tank was dry and "that the engine lost power due to fuel starvation." Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid level - C
- C Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid management - C
- C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Lack of action-Pilot - C
- — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-(general)-Effect on operation
- — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Fuel system-Fuel indication system-Inoperative
- C Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Fuel planning-Pilot - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2018_GAA18CA184.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (stall, fuel starvation). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- NASA NTRS 2026 · Conference Paper
Computational Analysis of Steady State Aerodynamics of Transonic Truss-Braced Wing Configuration in Deep Stall
This study presents a computational investigation of steady state aerodynamics of the Subsonic Ultra-Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) configuration over a wide range …
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Automating Bird Diverter Installation through Multi-Aerial Robots and Signal Temporal Logic Specifications
This paper tackles the task assignment and trajectory generation problem for bird diverter installation using a fleet of multi-rotors.
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Variation of Critical Crystallization Pressure for the Formation of Square Ice in Graphene Nanocapillaries
Two-dimensional square ice in graphene nanocapillaries at room temperature is a fascinating phenomenon and has been confirmed experimentally.
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Polycrystallinity enhances stress build-up around ice
Damage caused by freezing wet, porous materials is a widespread problem, but is hard to predict or control. Here, we show that polycrystallinity makes a great difference to the stress build-up process…
- arXiv 2022 · arXiv preprint
Enhanced Prediction of Three-dimensional Finite Iced Wing Separated Flow Near Stall
Icing on three-dimensional wings causes severe flow separation near stall. Standard improved delayed detached eddy simulation (IDDES) is unable to correctly predict the separating reattaching flow due…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2021 · Journal article (JAAER)
Analysis on the Negative Emotional, Physiological, and Cognitive Responses Elicited from of the Activation of a Stall Alarm
Failing to identify an aerodynamic stall can lead to the inability of an aircraft to sustain flight. To warn pilots of an impending or fully-developed stall, many aircraft have safety devices installe…
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