What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 23,1997, at 1740 central standard time, a Piper-28-140 was substantially damaged dunging forced landing near sulpher, Oklahoma. The airplane was owned by ddr cooporation of wilmington dealwre, and being operated by vista helicopters inc. , of davis,oklhoma, on a title 14 CFR part 91 flight. The student, sole occupant of the airplane was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the solo instuctioanl flight for which a flight paln was not filed. The local flight originated from the crazy horse municipal airport, near davis, oklhoma, at 1345. According to law enforcement personnel that reponded to the accident, the pilot stated that he had flown to the Sulphur municipal airport to practice a langing and a takeoff prior to returning to davis, where the pilot anticipated a crosswing landing. The pilot reported that the airplane was on initial takeoff climb from runway 17, at an estimated altitude between 400 and 500 feet AGL, when the engine "coughed a couple of times and quit." The pilot further stated that he switched the fuel selector to the left tank, but due to his low altitude the power to the engine was not restored in time to abandon the forced landing. The airplane landed in a confined field approximately one mile west of the airport. Post accident examination of the wreckage by the operator revealed that both wings and the engine firewall sustained structural damage. The left main gear and the nose landing gear had collapsed. The 1972 model airplane was equipped with a checklist. The before takeoff checklist call for the fuel selector to be in the fullest tank position. Examination of the wreckage by the FAA inspector and the operator revealed that the carburetor bowl and the right wing tank were found to be empty. The left tank contianed approximately 18 to 20 gallons of fuel. (-23) on January 23, 1997, at 1740 central standard time, a Piper PA-28-140 was destroyed during a forced landing, approximately 1 mile west of sulfur, OK. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane was not injured. The pilot of this aircraft stated that the engine "coughed then quit" during climb, at 400' AGL. An examination of the wreckage determined the following: right hand tank was empty, left hand tank was approximately 50% full, carburetor had no anomalies, and had deficient fuel in bowl.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 23,1997, AT 1740 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A PIPER-28-140 WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DUNGING FORCED LANDING NEAR SULPHER, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED BY DDR COOPORATION OF WILMINGTON DEALWRE, AND BEING OPERATED BY VISTA HELICOPTERS INC. , OF DAVIS,OKLHOMA, ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT. THE STUDENT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE SOLO INSTUCTIOANL FLIGHT FOR WHICH A FLIGHT PALN WAS NOT FILED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE CRAZY HORSE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, NEAR DAVIS, OKLHOMA, AT 1345. ACCORDING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL THAT REPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD FLOWN TO THE SULPHUR MUNICIPAL AIRPORT TO PRACTICE A LANGING AND A TAKEOFF PRIOR TO RETURNING TO DAVIS, WHERE THE PILOT ANTICIPATED A CROSSWING LANDING. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS ON INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB FROM RUNWAY 17, AT AN ESTIMATED ALTITUDE BETWEEN 400 AND 500 FEET AGL, WHEN THE ENGINE "COUGHED A COUPLE OF TIMES AND QUIT." THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT HE SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT TANK, BUT DUE TO HIS LOW ALTITUDE THE POWER TO THE ENGINE WAS NOT RESTORED IN TIME TO ABANDON THE FORCED LANDING. THE AIRPLANE LANDED IN A CONFINED FIELD APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE WEST OF THE AIRPORT. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY THE OPERATOR REVEALED THAT BOTH WINGS AND THE ENGINE FIREWALL SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AND THE NOSE LANDING GEAR HAD COLLAPSED. THE 1972 MODEL AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A CHECKLIST. THE BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKLIST CALL FOR THE FUEL SELECTOR TO BE IN THE FULLEST TANK POSITION. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY THE FAA INSPECTOR AND THE OPERATOR REVEALED THAT THE CARBURETOR BOWL AND THE RIGHT WING TANK WERE FOUND TO BE EMPTY. THE LEFT TANK CONTIANED APPROXIMATELY 18 TO 20 GALLONS OF FUEL. (-23) ON JANUARY 23, 1997, AT 1740 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-140 WAS DESTROYED DURING A FORCED LANDING, APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE WEST OF SULFUR, OK. THE STUDENT PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT INJURED. THE PILOT OF THIS AIRCRAFT STATED THAT THE ENGINE "COUGHED THEN QUIT" DURING CLIMB, AT 400' AGL. AN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DETERMINED THE FOLLOWING: RIGHT HAND TANK WAS EMPTY, LEFT HAND TANK WAS APPROXIMATELY 50% FULL, CARBURETOR HAD NO ANOMALIES, AND HAD DEFICIENT FUEL IN BOWL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.