# Accident 20010506010989A: Piper PA24260, Napa, CA, May 6, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 6, 2001, 12:04 local time - Place: Napa, CA - Airport: Napa County Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.5499° N, 122.1491° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.5499&lon=-122.1491&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8710P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8710P) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-24-260 (registry code 7102406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-260) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA24260 - Reported engine: LYC IO540D4A5 - People aboard: 4 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 3,202 total, 35 in this make and model, 48 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01LA166](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA166) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010506010989A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23)ENGINE STOPPED DURING TOUCH AND GO MANEUVERS AT NAPA COUNTY ARIPORT. PIC MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON RUNWAY 18R CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. INTERVIEW OF PIC REVELAED FUEL SELECTOR WAS SELECTED TO RIGHT MAIN TANK. HOWEVER, EXAMINATION OF RIGHT MAIN TANK REVEALED IT WAS EMPTY AND HAD NOT SUSTAINED ANY OBVIOUS DAMAGE FROM THE ACCIDENT. DURING A FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEW OF PIC IT WAS DETERMINED THAT POSSIBLE LACK OR FUEL MONITORING MAY HAVE CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. (.4) ON MAY 6, 2001, AT 1204 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-24-260, N8710P, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A FENCE DURING A FORCED LANDING AT NAPA COUNTY AIRPORT, NAPA, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED BY AMPHIBIOUS ADVENTURES, INC., UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, AND FLOWN BY A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, IN THE RIGHT SEAT, WHO WAS PROVIDING INSTRUCTION TO A PRIVATE PILOT, IN THE LEFT SEAT. THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM SAN RAFAEL AIRPORT, SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA, APPROXIMATELY 1130. NEITHER THE TWO PILOTS NOR THE TWO REAR-SEATED PILOT-RATED PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILE D AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED HE WAS PROVIDING AN AIRPLANE CHECKOUT TO THE LEFT SEAT PILOT. THE LEFT SEAT PILOT WAS MAKING A TOUCH-AND-GO ON RUNWAY 18R. AFTER LANDING AND TAKING OFF, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE SPUTTERED, AND THEN QUIT BETWEEN 150 AND 200 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY, ROLLED ACROSS A FIELD, STRUCK A FENCE, AND STOPPED IN A DITCH. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, ALL FOUR FUEL TANKS WERE SUMPED TO CHECK FOR FUEL QUALITY AND NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND. ALL FOUR FUEL TANKS WERE CHECKED FOR QUANTITY. THE TWO AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS WERE FULL AND THE TWO MAIN TANKS WERE HALF FULL, AS OBSERVED BY THE FUEL GAUGES. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FURTHER STATED THAT TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS ARE TO BE MADE WITH FUEL DRAWN FROM THE MAIN TANKS ONLY. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN FLYING FOR ABOUT 35 MINUTES AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. UPON POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR NOTED THAT THE FUEL BLADDER HAD PULLED AWAY FROM THE TANK AND MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FUEL GAUGE TO GIVE ANERRONEOUS READING. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AND CONFIRMED FUEL AND OIL WERE IN THE ENGINE, WITH NO OBVIOUS DISCREPANCIES NOTED. ## 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 LAX01LA166](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA166), May 6, 2001: Piper PA-24-260 (N8710P), Napa, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot-in-command's failure to verify the fuel supply before flight, and his improper fuel management, that resulted in fuel starvation and loss of engine power during takeoff climb resulting in a… ## Other reports on N8710P (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19810513071839I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810513071839I), May 13, 1981: Piper PA24260 (N8710P), Long Beach, CA, Minor damage. Pilot making touch and go landings touched prop on runway, extended gear and completed the 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. --- 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.