# Accident 19970126000839A: Piper PA28RT201, Chehalis, WA, January 26, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 26, 1997, 12:00 local time
- Place: Chehalis, WA
- Airport: Chehalis-Centralia
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 46.6193° N, 123.0003° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.6193&lon=-123.0003&mi=10
- Aircraft: N344LC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N344LC-1998-12-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28RT-201 (registry code 7102818, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28rt-201) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28RT201
- Reported engine: LYC IO360E1A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 113 total, 111 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA97LA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97LA052) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970126000839A

## Narrative

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

CRASHED DURING TAKEOFF. (.4) THE FIRST PILOT (PIC) AND HIS FATHER, THE SECOND PILOT, SHARED THE DUTIES OF A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION ON THE AIRPLANE IN PREPARATION TO PERFORM SOME TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. THE SECOND PILOT VISUALLY CHECKED BOTH FUEL TANKS AND NOTED THAT THE LEFT TANK WAS LOW. HE STATED THAT HE HAD MENTIONED THIS TO THE FIRST PILOT, AND THE FIRST PILOT DID NOT 'CAREFULLY NOTE.' THE FIRST PILOT SELECTED THE LEFT TANK FOR THE FLIGHT BECAUSE THE LEFT FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE WAS ERRONEOUSLY INDICATING A FULL TANK. DURING THE THIRD TOUCH-AND-GO TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE WAS STARVED OF FUEL AND SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE SECOND PILOT, WHO WAS ALSO A CFI, IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CONTROLS, BANKED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID TREES, AND FORCE LANDED THE AIRPLANE INTO AN OPEN CORN FIELD. THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND DURING THE LANDING AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES WERE FOUND WITH THE ENGINE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT COCKPIT FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE REVEALED THAT THE NEEDLE WAS CAPTURED BETWEEN A DEFORMED FACE PLATE AND A STICKY SUBSTANCE FOUND BENEATH THE GLASS.                                                           THE SOURCE OF THE DEFORMATION AND SUBSTANCE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.

## 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 SEA97LA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97LA052), Jan 26, 1997: Piper PA-28RT-201 (N344LC), Chehalis, WA, destroyed. Probable cause: The failure of the first pilot to conduct an adequate preflight inspection, and his failure to properly manage the aircraft fuel supply. This led to fuel starvation and a subsequent loss of engine…

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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