# Accident 20000213019179A: Piper PA24250, College Station, TX, February 13, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 13, 2000, 16:30 local time
- Place: College Station, TX
- Airport: Easterwood Field Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.5998° N, 96.3094° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.5998&lon=-96.3094&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7878P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7878P-2009-04-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA24250
- Reported engine: LYC O540A1D5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 511 total, 261 in this make and model, 34 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW00LA081](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW00LA081) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000213019179A

## Narrative

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

(.4)ON FINAL APPROACH AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE 'STOPPED.' THE PILOT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND TURNED ON THE FUEL PUMP.  ENGINE POWER WAS NOT RESTORED.  UPON REALIZING THAT THE APPROACH GLIDEPATH WOULD PUT THE AIRPLANE INTO TREES, THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD SHORT OF THE TREES.  CONTINUITY OF THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS CONFIRMED.  PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF CONTAMINATION (FERROUS AND NONFERROUS) WAS FOUND THROUGHOUT THE FUEL SYSTEM (FUEL STRAINER, SELECTOR VALVE, ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP, LEFT WING FUEL CAVITY, AND CARBURETOR) INDICATING THAT WATER HAD BEEN PRESENT AT SOME TIME AND WAS ALLOWED TO REMAIN IN THE SYSTEM.  DURING THE PREFLIGHT, IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE PILOT TO SELECT EACH TANK WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE THEN INDIVIDUALLY DRAIN IT, FROM THE COCKPIT, PRIOR TO FLIGHT, USING THE DRAIN VALVE ON THE FUEL SELECTOR.  THE INDIVIDUAL TANKS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH DRAIN SUMPS.  IF A FUEL TANK, THAT WAS NOT DRAINED PROPERLY, WAS SELECTED DURING FLIGHT, WATER AND/OR CONTAMINANTS COULD BE INTRODUCED INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER OR ENGINE STOPPAGE.  THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRFRAME, AND DURING AN ENGINE RUN, NO APPARENT ANOMALIES WERE FOUND.

## 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 FTW00LA081](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW00LA081), Feb 13, 2000: Piper PA-24-250 (N7878P), College Station, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power due to fuel system contamination. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

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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