# Accident 20000513041559A: Piper PA32R301, Casa Grande, AZ, May 13, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 13, 2000, 13:00 local time
- Place: Casa Grande, AZ
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: B4VS
- Location: 32.8795° N, 111.7574° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Casa Grande, AZ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8795&lon=-111.7574&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4148R (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32R301
- Reported engine: LYC IO540K1G5
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 830 total, 69 in this make and model, 190 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA196](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA196) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000513041559A

## Narrative

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

(.4) ON MAY 13, 2000, AT 1300 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-32R, N4148R, LOST ENGINE POWER AND MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A HIGHWAY NEAR CASA GRANDE, ARIZONA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; HOWEVER, THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT BY SABENA AIRLINE TRAINING CENTER, INC., UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM SCOTTSDALE AIRPORT IN SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, ABOUT 1145. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR SAID THAT THE STUDENT, WHO WAS UNDER THE HOOD, WAS PREPARING TO EXECUTE AN APPROACH TO CASA GRANDE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. PART OF THE LANDING CHECKLIST INCLUDED SWITCHING THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE FULLEST TANK; HOWEVER, THE STUDENT INADVERTENTLY SWITCHED THE SELECTOR TO THE "OFF" POSITION. WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT, THE STUDENT VERBALIZED THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST ITEMS SEQUENTIALLY TO THE INSTRUCTOR WHO PERFORMED THE REQUIRED ACTIONS. THE STUDENT OMITTED THE FIRST ITEM (SWITCH TO FULLEST TANK) BECAUSE OF HAVING ALREADY SWITCHED. THE INSTRUCTOR WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITHIN THE TIME AND ALTITUDE REMAINING AND EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING ON HIGHWAY 84 NEAR THE INTERSECTION WITH BIANCA ROAD. DURING THE LANDING, THE RIGHT FLAP STRUCK A CEMENT BRIDGE STANCHION AND THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE. ONCE ON THE GROUND, THE INSTRUCTOR IDENTIFIED THE FUEL SELECTOR AS HAVING BEEN IN THE "OFF" POSITION. A RECOMMENDATION FOR ACCIDENT PREVENTION WAS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) FLIGHT STANDARDS DIVISION MANAGER IN ARIZONA. ACCORDING TO THE FAA REPORT, THE FUEL SELECTOR STOP IS MOUNTED ON A PLASTIC CENTER FUEL PANEL ON THE FLOOR BETWEEN THE PILOT AND CO-PILOT SEATS. UPON REMOVAL OF THE PANEL, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE STOP FOR THE STEEL SPRING ARM WAS BENT, ALLOWING THE SELECTOR TO TRAVEL TO THE "OFF" POSITION. NO ACTION TO PRESS IT DOWN AS A SEPARATE AND DISTINCT ACTION RESULTED. THE BEND WAS NOT EVIDENT WHILE THE PANEL WAS MOUNTED IN PLACE. THE DESIGN OF THE FUEL SELECTOR, PART NUMBER 69654-22, FOR THE PIPER SARATOGA AND ALL LIKE COMPONENTS WERE TO BE EVALUATED. THE CURRENT DESIGN PROVIDED A POSITIVE STOP, BUT WAS NOT DESIGNED TO PREVENT IMPROPER USE AND EVENTUAL WEAR.

## 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 LAX00LA196](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA196), May 13, 2000: Piper PA-32R (N4148R), Casa Grande, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilot's inadvertant movement of the fuel selector to the "off" positon when selecting the alternate tank, and the flight instructor's lack of verification that the fuel selector was in…

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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