19980701015829A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-22-108 · Spearfish, SD · July 1, 1998

Date: July 1, 1998 · 11:00 local
Place: Spearfish, SD
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5181Z
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI98LA235
Reported as: Piper PA22108
Reported engine: Lycoming O290D2
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 600 total

N5181ZRegistration cancelled Aug 22, 2013 · Piper PA-22-108S/N 22-8848 · Built 1961 Airframe modelPiper PA-22-108 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

Acft engine lost power on climbout and pilot made an emerg landing, Spearfish, SD. (.4)the airplane suffered a partial loss of engine power. The pilot conducted a forced landing; however, impacted trees and the terrain during the descent. The pilot told a physician that the airplane suffered a loss of about 70% power and later told his attorney that the airplane suffered fuel exhaustion. An examination of the airplane subsequent to the accident revealed no mechanical anomalies other than those associated with impact. Emergency responders and federal aviation administration inspectors were on site within two hours of the accident. They did not find any fuel leaking from the airplane and did not smell fuel. An examination of the left fuel tank found only unusable fuel. The fuel selector was found positioned to the left fuel tank. (-23) on climb out, engine lost power. Pilot made emergency landing in mountainous terran.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT ENGINE LOST POWER ON CLIMBOUT AND PILOT MADE AN EMERG LANDING, SPEARFISH, SD. (.4)THE AIRPLANE SUFFERED A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT CONDUCTED A FORCED LANDING; HOWEVER, IMPACTED TREES AND THE TERRAIN DURING THE DESCENT. THE PILOT TOLD A PHYSICIAN THAT THE AIRPLANE SUFFERED A LOSS OF ABOUT 70% POWER AND LATER TOLD HIS ATTORNEY THAT THE AIRPLANE SUFFERED FUEL EXHAUSTION. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENT TO THE ACCIDENT REVEALED NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES OTHER THAN THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH IMPACT. EMERGENCY RESPONDERS AND FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTORS WERE ON SITE WITHIN TWO HOURS OF THE ACCIDENT. THEY DID NOT FIND ANY FUEL LEAKING FROM THE AIRPLANE AND DID NOT SMELL FUEL. AN EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT FUEL TANK FOUND ONLY UNUSABLE FUEL. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND POSITIONED TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK. (-23) ON CLIMB OUT, ENGINE LOST POWER. PILOT MADE EMERGENCY LANDING IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAN.

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 CHI98LA235Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportSpearfish, SDthe pilots improper preflight planning, which failed to detect the fuel selector positioned on the left fuel tank, which had insufficient fuel, resulting in fuel starvation, and the loss of engine power.Jul 1, 1998 · Substantial damage