20020816023699A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-25-235 · Boulder, CO · August 16, 2002

Date: August 16, 2002 · 13:15 local
Place: Boulder, CO
Airport: Boulder Municipal Airport
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9791P
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN02LA096
Reported as: Piper PA25235

N9791PRegistration cancelled Mar 31, 2004 · Piper PA-25-235S/N 25-7556104 · Built 1975 Airframe modelPiper PA-25-235 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) This aircraft was conducting glider towing operations for approximately 30 minutes when the engine quit running. At the time the engine failed the pilot noted that the fuel gauge, at that time, went to empty and then the low fuel light illuminated, for the first time. The glider being towed separted and returned to Boulder airport. The accident aircraft attempted an emergency landing in a field located 25 miles west of Boulder, near sugarloaft road. The landing resulted in the aircraft being destroyed. The pilot was not injured.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THIS AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTING GLIDER TOWING OPERATIONS FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. AT THE TIME THE ENGINE FAILED THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE, AT THAT TIME, WENT TO EMPTY AND THEN THE LOW FUEL LIGHT ILLUMINATED, FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE GLIDER BEING TOWED SEPARTED AND RETURNED TO BOULDER AIRPORT. THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD LOCATED 25 MILES WEST OF BOULDER, NEAR SUGARLOAFT ROAD. THE LANDING RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT BEING DESTROYED. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DEN02LA096Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBoulder, COthe pilot's inadequate preflight preparation, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent loss of engine power, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the forced landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush. Factors included the…Aug 16, 2002 · Destroyed