# Accident 19980701015829A: Piper PA22108, Spearfish, SD, July 1, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 1, 1998, 11:00 local time
- Place: Spearfish, SD
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.4801° N, 103.8391° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.4801&lon=-103.8391&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5181Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5181Z-2013-08-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-22-108 (registry code 7102204, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-108) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA22108
- Reported engine: LYC O290D2
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 600 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA235](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA235) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980701015829A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 CHI98LA235](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA235), Jul 1, 1998: Piper PA-22-108 (N5181Z), Spearfish, SD, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the 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…

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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