# Accident 19961005031039A: Piper PA16, Silver Lake, IN, October 5, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 5, 1996, 13:10 local time
- Place: Silver Lake, IN
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.0703° N, 85.1700° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.0703&lon=-85.1700&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5749H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5749H-2013-07-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-16 (registry code 7101602, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-16) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-290 series (registry code 41506, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-290-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA16
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97LA003](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA003) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961005031039A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

WHILE CIRCLING TOWN LOST POWER. HIT TREE. CRASHED IN CITY STREET. FUEL SELECTOR ON EMPTY TANK. FAILED TO SWITCH. (-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AMES, IOWA, ENROUTE TO WARSAW, INDIANA. WHILE CIRCLING THE TOWN OF SILVER LAKE, WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE WING TANK WITH THE LEAST FUEL, ENGINE LOST POWER. AIRCRAFT CONTINUED THE TURN TOWARD THE CENTER OF TOWN, HIT A SPRUCE TREE AND CRASHED IN THE STREET AND CAME TO REST NEXT TO A HOUSE. THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT SILVER LAKE, INDIANA ABOUT 13:10 LOCAL TIME.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI97LA003](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA003), Oct 5, 1996: Piper PA-16 (N5749H), Silver Lake, IN, destroyed. Probable cause: fuel starvation due to an inadequate preflight and the pilot performed a low altitude maneuver which prevented him from selecting suitable terrain for landing. Additional factors included the loose…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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