19960727020179A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-25-235 · Moriarty, NM · July 27, 1996

Date: July 27, 1996 · 15:00 local
Place: Moriarty, NM
Airport: Moriarty Airport
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N7469Z
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW96LA323
Reported as: Piper PA25235
Reported engine: Lycoming O540G1A5
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,222 total272 in this make and model64 in the last 90 days

N7469ZRegistration cancelled Oct 14, 1999 · Piper PA-25-235S/N 25-3471 Airframe modelPiper PA-25-235

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

During climbing glider tow lost power. Glider released. Landed. Rutted field. Fuel tanks empty. Left main folded. (-23) on July 27, 1996 at 1500 CDT Piper PA-25 N7469Z departed rwy 26 at moriarity airport towing a glider. At approx 400 ft engine lost power, towed plane was released, pilot made forced landing in a pasture. Deep ruts were encountered which broke the left main gear off. The left wing had damage. The aircraft was out of fuel. The aircraft was moved before this investigator arrived.

As the FAA filed it

DURING CLIMBING GLIDER TOW LOST POWER. GLIDER RELEASED. LANDED. RUTTED FIELD. FUEL TANKS EMPTY. LEFT MAIN FOLDED. (-23) ON JULY 27, 1996 AT 1500 CDT PIPER PA-25 N7469Z DEPARTED RWY 26 AT MORIARITY AIRPORT TOWING A GLIDER. AT APPROX 400 FT ENGINE LOST POWER, TOWED PLANE WAS RELEASED, PILOT MADE FORCED LANDING IN A PASTURE. DEEP RUTS WERE ENCOUNTERED WHICH BROKE THE LEFT MAIN GEAR OFF. THE LEFT WING HAD DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OUT OF FUEL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED BEFORE THIS INVESTIGATOR ARRIVED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW96LA323Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMoriarity, NMloss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to refuel. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain available for the forced landing.Jul 27, 1996 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7469Z · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19810514026249AForced/Precautionary Landing · Durham, CAEngine quit on takeoff. Landed in flooded rice field. Nosed over. Found loss of compression from stuck valve.May 14, 1981 · Substantial damage