What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On April 28, 2001, about 1125 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32RT-300, N38261, registered to zqj corporation, operating as a 14 title CFR part 91 personal flight, crashed in the vicinity of Wilmington, north carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight plan had been filed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and the private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight departed newport news, Virginia, about 1 hour before the accident. According to the pilot, during his descent into Wilmington for landing, as he put his propeller control to full increase as part of his before-landing-checklist, engine RPM decreased to below 2,000 RPM, began surging, and then the engine quit. He determined his best alternative field was a corn field about 2 to 3 miles short of the airport. He stated he saw full fuel tanks during his walk-around inspection before departing newport news. He stated that he switched fuel tanks from right to left about 3 minutes before the loss of power. (-23)pilot reported engine power loss on approach to Wilmington, NC and could not maintain sufficient altitude to make airport. He made an emergency landing in a corn field approximately 3 miles northeast fo the airport. The pilot states in his statement (see attachments) that "after completing the second turn, about 7.5 miles from the airport, I resumed a course of about 200 degrees, enrouched the mixture fully, switched from the right to the left fuel tank, and began a gradual descent. After about 4 miles, when I was about 3 miles from the airport and had reached pattern altitude, I advanced the prop to full RPM. As soon as I did this,the RPM increased to about 2700 and then dropped significantly, surged back up to 2700 and then dropped again." An emegency landing was executed as the resultant power loss made it impossible for the pilot to reach the airfield. (.4) within 3 miles of landing, as the pilot was completing his before landing check list, the engine surged to 2,700 RPM two or three times, and then stopped developing power, completely. The pilot thought his best alternative was a forced landing to a corn field, which was accomplished but the airframe sustained substantial damage. Post crash examination by FAA inspectors revealed adequate fuel was aboard. Examination of engine, fuel, ignition, and airframe components revealed the fuel selector cover assembly was loose, missing mounting screws, and had shifted aft of its designed position. Such a repositioning would render the mechanical safety stop that would prevent an inadvertent switch to "off" inoperative. A search of the aircraft maintenance logs revealed an entry where the aircraft seats, door panels, plastic, and carpeting were removed for replacement or cleaning.
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON APRIL 28, 2001, ABOUT 1125 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-32RT-300, N38261, REGISTERED TO ZQJ CORPORATION, OPERATING AS A 14 TITLE CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A VISUAL FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, ABOUT 1 HOUR BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING HIS DESCENT INTO WILMINGTON FOR LANDING, AS HE PUT HIS PROPELLER CONTROL TO FULL INCREASE AS PART OF HIS BEFORE-LANDING-CHECKLIST, ENGINE RPM DECREASED TO BELOW 2,000 RPM, BEGAN SURGING, AND THEN THE ENGINE QUIT. HE DETERMINED HIS BEST ALTERNATIVE FIELD WAS A CORN FIELD ABOUT 2 TO 3 MILES SHORT OF THE AIRPORT. HE STATED HE SAW FULL FUEL TANKS DURING HIS WALK-AROUND INSPECTION BEFORE DEPARTING NEWPORT NEWS. HE STATED THAT HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS FROM RIGHT TO LEFT ABOUT 3 MINUTES BEFORE THE LOSS OF POWER. (-23)PILOT REPORTED ENGINE POWER LOSS ON APPROACH TO WILMINGTON, NC AND COULD NOT MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO MAKE AIRPORT. HE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A CORN FIELD APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES NORTHEAST FO THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATES IN HIS STATEMENT (SEE ATTACHMENTS) THAT "AFTER COMPLETING THE SECOND TURN, ABOUT 7.5 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, I RESUMED A COURSE OF ABOUT 200 DEGREES, ENROUCHED THE MIXTURE FULLY, SWITCHED FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK, AND BEGAN A GRADUAL DESCENT. AFTER ABOUT 4 MILES, WHEN I WAS ABOUT 3 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT AND HAD REACHED PATTERN ALTITUDE, I ADVANCED THE PROP TO FULL RPM. AS SOON AS I DID THIS,THE RPM INCREASED TO ABOUT 2700 AND THEN DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY, SURGED BACK UP TO 2700 AND THEN DROPPED AGAIN." AN EMEGENCY LANDING WAS EXECUTED AS THE RESULTANT POWER LOSS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE PILOT TO REACH THE AIRFIELD. (.4) WITHIN 3 MILES OF LANDING, AS THE PILOT WAS COMPLETING HIS BEFORE LANDING CHECK LIST, THE ENGINE SURGED TO 2,700 RPM TWO OR THREE TIMES, AND THEN STOPPED DEVELOPING POWER, COMPLETELY. THE PILOT THOUGHT HIS BEST ALTERNATIVE WAS A FORCED LANDING TO A CORN FIELD, WHICH WAS ACCOMPLISHED BUT THE AIRFRAME SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. POST CRASH EXAMINATION BY FAA INSPECTORS REVEALED ADEQUATE FUEL WAS ABOARD. EXAMINATION OF ENGINE, FUEL, IGNITION, AND AIRFRAME COMPONENTS REVEALED THE FUEL SELECTOR COVER ASSEMBLY WAS LOOSE, MISSING MOUNTING SCREWS, AND HAD SHIFTED AFT OF ITS DESIGNED POSITION. SUCH A REPOSITIONING WOULD RENDER THE MECHANICAL SAFETY STOP THAT WOULD PREVENT AN INADVERTENT SWITCH TO "OFF" INOPERATIVE. A SEARCH OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGS REVEALED AN ENTRY WHERE THE AIRCRAFT SEATS, DOOR PANELS, PLASTIC, AND CARPETING WERE REMOVED FOR REPLACEMENT OR CLEANING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.