# Accident 20001104023089A: Piper PA28140, Livermore, CA, November 4, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 4, 2000, 12:01 local time - Place: Livermore, CA - Airport: Livermore Municipal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 37.6798° N, 121.7503° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.6798&lon=-121.7503&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9986W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9986W-2013-07-15) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28140 - Reported engine: LYC O320E2A - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 384 total, 6 in this make and model, 2 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01LA033](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA033) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001104023089A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) AIRMAN IRANI IN WRITING, STATED HE WAS MAKING A IFR APPROACH INTO LIVERMORE, CA. WHEN HE INFORMED HIS OBSERVATION PILOT THAT HE WAS GOING TO CHANGE FUEL TANKS. AIRMAN IRANI ERRORRED IN CHANGING THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR FROM LEFT TANK TO THE OFF POSITION. THE A/C ENGINE IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. WHILE IN THE EMERGENCY DESCENT, AIRMAN IRANI AND AIRMAN BARKER TRIED EFFORTLESSLY TO SWITCH THE SELECTOR BACK TO EITHER THE LEFT OR RIGHT TANK. ONCE REALIZED THAT THEY COULD NOT SWITCH THE SELECTOR, THEY SELECTED A CLEARING FOR LANDING AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH THE LIVERPOOL CONTROL TOWER. (.4) AFTER MAKING A FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD DUE TO A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A BERM. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS FOR THE FIRST PILOT TO GAIN MORE EXPERIENCE FLYING THE AIRPLANE, AS HE WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT. HE HAD ASKED ONE OF THE PART OWNERS OF THE AIRPLANE TO ACT AS HIS SAFETY PILOT DURING THE FLIGHT BECAUSE HE WAS GOING TO PRACTICE IFR PROCEDURES. DURING AN ILS-LOCALIZER APPROACH, THE FIRST PILOT INADVERTENTLY SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE TO THE "OFF" POSITION. THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE FIRST PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE FUEL SELECTOR BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION. THE SAFETY PILOT TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, AND LANDED THE AIRPLANE. THE FIRST PILOT INFORMED THE RESPONDING POLICE OFFICER THAT HE BELIEVED THE FUEL SELECTOR POSITIONS WERE "LEFT-OFF-RIGHT." THE ACTUAL POSITIONS OF THE FUEL SELECTOR WERE "OFF-LEFT-RIGHT." THE OFFICER OBSERVED THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE POINTING TOWARDS THE "OFF" POSITION. THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE WAS EXAMINED. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MOVE, AS IF THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH LUBRICATION ON IT, BUT IT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. ## 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 LAX01LA033](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA033), Nov 4, 2000: Piper PA-28-140 (N9986W), Livermore, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane's fuel system. This lead to the pilot inadvertently switching the fuel selector handle to the "OFF" position and subsequently to a 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.