# Accident 20010901024819A: Piper PA28235, Carson City, NV, September 1, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 1, 2001, 19:53 local time - Place: Carson City, NV - Airport: Carson Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.2091° N, 119.7092° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2091&lon=-119.7092&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9199W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9199W-2005-04-21) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-235 (registry code 7102810, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-235) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28235 - Reported engine: LYC O540B4B5 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 310 total, 145 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01LA299](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA299) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010901024819A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2001, AT 1953 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-235, N9199W, IMPACTED TERRAIN IN THE BACK YARD OF A RESIDENCE FOLLOWING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE ON LANDING FINAL APPROACH AT THE CARSON AIRPORT, CARSON CITY, NEVADA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED. A RESIDENT OF THE PROPERTY, WHO WAS STANDING IN THE YARD, WAS STRUCK BY THE AIRPLANE AND SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY THE OWNER/PILOT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND ORIGINATED FROM CARSON CITY AT 1915. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT TOLD AN FEDERAL AVIAITION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR THAT HE HAD SELECTED A DIFFERENT FUEL TANK AS THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED THE AIRPORT FOR LANDING. THE ENGINE LOST POWER AS HE TURNED ONTO BASE LEG. HE RECALLED THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE READ ZERO AND RECALLED TURNING ON THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. TWILIGHT CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TREE AND CRASHED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. (-23) PILOT HAD JUST COMPLETED THE BEFORE LANDING CHECK IN WHICH HE TURNED THE FUEL BOOST PUMP TO ON AND SELECTED THE LEFT WING TIP TANK AS THE FULLEST TANK MOVING THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE RIGHT WING TIP TANK. HIS PASSENGER, WIFE, CONFIRMED THAT HE HAD SELECTED THE LEFT TIP TANK AND IT WAS FULL OF FUEL ON THE GAUGE. ON THE DOWNWIND LEG THE PILOT NOTED THAT HE WAS 1000 FEET ABOVE THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE SO HE EXTENDED HIS DOWNWING TO COMPENSATE. WHEN THE PILOT TURNED FROM BASE TO FINAL HE NOTICED THE ENGINE NOT RESPONDING TO POWER DEMAND AND STATED TO HIS WIFE THAT HE HAD A FUEL PROBLEM, NOTING THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE WAS ZERO. HIS WIFE RECOGNIZED THEY WERE VERY LOW AND GRABBED THE YOKE AND PULLED IT BACK. THE PILOT, UNABLE TO GET THE ENGINE RUNNING AFTER HE SAID THE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, THEN GRABBED THE YOKE AND PUSHED IT FORWARD TO AVOID A STALL. HE RECOGNIZED HE WAS HEADING TOWARD A HOUSE AND DECIDED TO TAKE THE AIRCRAFT INTO A TREE. THE AIRCRAFT CLIPPED THE UPPER FIVE FEET OF THE LIMBS OF AN OLIVE TREE, SEVERING THEM, THEN IMPACTED A POPLAR TREE, SEVERING SEVERAL LIMBS APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND RIPPING OFF THE LEFT WING AT THE ROOT AND LEFT MAIN GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT THEN STRUCK A SIX FOOT FENCE KNOCKING IT DOWN, AND IMPACTED ANOTHER OLIVE TREE BREAKING IT IN HALF PRIOR TO THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT STRIKING THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPING OVER, COMING TO REST INVERTED AND LEANING SLIGHTLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE TAIL SECTION WAS INTACT AND HAD STRUCK A RESIDENT WHO HAD BEEN WATERING THE BACK YARD. THE RESIDENT WAS AIR EVACUATED WITH TWO CRUSHED LEGS AND A HEAD INJURY. THE PILOT SUFFERED A BROKEN LEG AND HIS WIFE, THE PASSENGER, HAD BRUISES AND MINOR SCRAPES. NO FIRE ERUPTED. (SEE STILL PHOTOS, AND VIDEO OF DAMAGED TREES AND YARD AREA PRIOR TO REMOVAL OF WRECKED AIRCRAFT). THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LAST FUELED THE AIRCRAFT AT BOISE, IDAHO, ON AUGUST 11, 2001. THE AIRCRAFT BURNED MOST OF THE FUEL OUT OF THE MAIN TANKS ON THE FLIGHT FROM BOISE TO CARSON CITY, NEVADA, ON AUGUST 11, A 3.1 HOUR FLIGHT WITH AN AVERAGE CONSUMPTION OF 14 GAL./HOUR. APPROXIMATELY 43 GALLONS OF THE 50 GALLONS STORED IN THE MAIN TANKS WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSUMED LEAVING THE TIP TANKS STILL FULL, AS THE PILOT REPORTED, AND CONFIRMED BY HIS WIFE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS FLIGHT. (.4) AS THE AIRPLANE RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT AFTER A LOCAL FLIGHT AT TWILIGHT, THE PILOT COMPLETED THE LANDING CHECKLIST AS THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED THE 45-DEGREE LEG. THE PILOT INTENDED TO MOVE THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE FROM THE RIGHT TIP TANK POSITION, ACROSS TWO INTERMEDIATE TANK POSITIONS, TO THE LEFT TIP TANK POSITION. THE NEXT POSITION FURTHER TO THE LEFT IS THE "OFF" POSITION, WHICH IS GUARDED BY A SPRING-LOADED MECHANICAL STOP. IN THE WRECKAGE THE MECHANICAL STOP WAS FOUND ATTACHED TO A PLASTIC COVER OVER THE FUEL SELECTOR; HOWEVER, THE COVER WAS BROKEN FROM THE SELECTOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY. BECAUSE OF TURBULENT FLIGHT CONDITIONS, THE PILOT ENTERED THE DOWNWIND LEG AT THE UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT ABOUT 1,000 FEET HIGH AND DESCENDED ON EXTENDED DOWNWIND LEG AT NEAR IDLE POWER. WHEN HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO ARREST THE AIRPLANE'S DESCENT ON EXTENDED BASE LEG, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE ENGINE. THE FUEL PRESSURE READ "ZERO." HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO ANOTHER TANK POSITION; HOWEVER, INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE REMAINED TO AFFORD SUFFICIENT TIME TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A TREE AND CRASHED IN THE BACK YARD OF A RESIDENCE, STRIKING AN OCCUPANT OF THE RESIDENCE WHO WAS IN THE YARD. THE MORNING AFTER THE ACCIDENT THERE WAS NO FUEL IN THE FUEL LINES FORWARD OF THE FIREWALL; HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN INVERTED OVERNIGHT. ABOUT 2.5 OUNCES OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR FLOAT BOWL. WHEN THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE WAS POSITIONED BETWEEN TANKS, THE INVESTIGATION SHOWED EACH OF THE ADJACENT PORTS WAS ABOUT 10-PERCENT OPEN. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS 1-MONTH OVERDUE; HOWEVER, IT DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE. ## 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 LAX01LA299](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA299), Sep 2, 2001: Piper PA-28-235 (N9199W), Carson City, NV, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot's incorrect setting of the fuel selector valve during the prelanding checklist to a position between usable tanks, resulting in fuel starvation. 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.