# Accident 19970123000789A: Piper PA28140, Sulphur, OK, January 23, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 23, 1997, 17:40 local time
- Place: Sulphur, OK
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.5004° N, 96.9706° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.5004&lon=-96.9706&mi=10
- Aircraft: N15754, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N15754-2017-05-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28140
- Reported engine: LYC O320E3D
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 44 total, 34 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97LA087](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA087) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970123000789A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 FTW97LA087](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA087), Jan 23, 1997: Piper PA-28-140 (N15754), Sulphur, OK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and the pilot's improper use of the fuel tank selector. Factors were the pilot's failure to follow the checklist and the lack of suitable terrain for…

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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