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19980516009789A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-25-260 · Richfield, UT · May 16, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 16, 1998 · 09:38 local
Place
Richfield, UT
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N9754P
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW98LA221
Reported as
Piper PA25260
Reported engine
Lycoming O540G1A5
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
551 total61 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days
N9754PRegistration cancelled Sep 14, 2001 · Piper PA-25-260S/N 25-7556021Airframe modelPiper PA-25-260

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.

Engine failed due inadequate fuel carried. On return to rif pilot tried to stretch glide resulting in a stall spin. (.4)the pilot remembered little of the accident. Witnesses said that the pilot had been spraying a field with a 50-50 mixture of furadan (a weed killer) and dimate 4E. They reported hearing the engine 'cut out,' 'stall,' or 'stop.' They said the pilot 'got it started again,' then it 'cut out,' 'stalled,' or 'stopped' again. The airplane was then seen to 'dive,' 'nose dive,' or go 'straight down.' An FAA inspector examined the undamaged wing tanks and found no evidence of fuel. No fuel was detected in the gascolator, the fuel line between the gascolator and fuel pump, or the carburetor. A small amount of fuel was found in the carburetor inlet fuel line. (-23)the engine started running rough, so the pilot decided to return to the airport. One and one-half miles south-east of the airport the engine quit. The aircraft stalled and spun onto the gorund. The engine quit due to fuel starvation.

As the FAA filed it

ENGINE FAILED DUE INADEQUATE FUEL CARRIED. ON RETURN TO RIF PILOT TRIED TO STRETCH GLIDE RESULTING IN A STALL SPIN. (.4)THE PILOT REMEMBERED LITTLE OF THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSES SAID THAT THE PILOT HAD BEEN SPRAYING A FIELD WITH A 50-50 MIXTURE OF FURADAN (A WEED KILLER) AND DIMATE 4E. THEY REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINE 'CUT OUT,' 'STALL,' OR 'STOP.' THEY SAID THE PILOT 'GOT IT STARTED AGAIN,' THEN IT 'CUT OUT,' 'STALLED,' OR 'STOPPED' AGAIN. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN SEEN TO 'DIVE,' 'NOSE DIVE,' OR GO 'STRAIGHT DOWN.' AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE UNDAMAGED WING TANKS AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL. NO FUEL WAS DETECTED IN THE GASCOLATOR, THE FUEL LINE BETWEEN THE GASCOLATOR AND FUEL PUMP, OR THE CARBURETOR. A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR INLET FUEL LINE. (-23)THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH, SO THE PILOT DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. ONE AND ONE-HALF MILES SOUTH-EAST OF THE AIRPORT THE ENGINE QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND SPUN ONTO THE GORUND. THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.

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 FTW98LA221Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportRichfield, UTthe pilot's improper planning/decision, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power; and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering for a forced landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and collision with the terrain.May 16, 1998 · Destroyed