# Accident 20021208034099A: Piper PA28161, Scottsdale, AZ, December 8, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 8, 2002, 20:27 local time - Place: Scottsdale, AZ - Damage: No damage - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.6167° N, 111.9000° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6167&lon=-111.9000&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2588Y, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2588Y-2018-02-09) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28161 - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX03LA047](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX03LA047) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021208034099A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) PRIVATE PILOT PARENTE WAS CONDUCTING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING AT THE SCOTTSDALE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 4.5 HOURS OR SO THAT DAY WITHOUT BEING RE-FUELED. DURING HIS TAKEOFF THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. HE LANDED IN THE PARKING LOT OF A FAST FOOD SHOP. ONLY MINOR INJURIES FOR HE AND HIS PASSENGER. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (.19) ON DECEMBER 8, 2002, AT 2027 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-161, N2588Y, COLLIDED WITH GROUND OBSTRUCTIONS DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING THE TAKEOFF INITIAL CLIMB FROM THE SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE, OPERATED BY FALCON EXECUTIVE AVIATION OF MESA, ARIZONA, AND RENTED BY THE PILOT FOR A CROSS-COUNTRY PERSONAL FLIGHT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND A PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE GROUND DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO LIGHT POLES AND TREES IN THE PARKING LOT OF A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT. THERE WERE NO GROUND INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT MESA, ARIZONA, AT 1815, AND MADE A STOP AT THE TU CSON, ARIZONA, INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM TUCSON AT 1920, WITH A PLANNED TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING AT SCOTTSDALE AND A FINAL DESTINATION OF MESA. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT NOTED THAT AFTER DEPARTURE FROM MESA HE FLEW DOWN TO TUCSON AND LANDED AT THE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. WITHOUT SHUTTING DOWN, HE TAXIED BACK AND TOOK OFF AGAIN FOR THE RETURN TO THE PHOENIX AREA. PHOENIX APPROACH CONTROL VECTORED THE FLIGHT THROUGH THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND TERMINATED RADAR SERVICES AT A POINT WHERE THE FLIGHT WAS LINED UP ON AN EXTENDED FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 3 AT SCOTTSDALE. THE PILOT SAID HE INTENDED TO DO A TOUCH AND GO AND THEN DEPART EAST BOUND TO MESA. AFTER RECEIVING A CLEARANCE FROM THE TOWER FOR A STRAIGHT-IN TO RUNWAY 3 AND A TOUCH AND GO, THE PILOT CONFIGURED THE AIRPLANE FOR LANDING, WHICH INCLUDED MOVING THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT TANK POSITION AND TURNING ON THE CARBURETOR HEAT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE APPROACH, TOUCHDOWN, AND TAKEOFF WERE NORMAL UNTIL THE AIRPLANE REACHED ABOUT 300 FEET AGL, WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND LOSE POWER. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE POWER LOSS WAS SMOOTH, WITHOUT VIBRATION OR ROUGHNESS. HE LOWERED THE NOSE TO SEE IF SUFFICIENT RUNWAY REMAINED FOR LANDING AND DETERMINED THAT THEY WERE ALREADY BEYOND THE POINT WHERE THAT WAS POSSIBLE. HE STARTED A TURN TO THE RIGHT TO SET UP FOR A LANDING ON A STREET AND THE ENGINE POWER CAME BACK. THE PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED TO TURN BACK THE RUNWAY BUT THE ENGINE QUIT AGAIN. THE PILOT THEN LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN A PARKING LOT AND COLLIDED WITH THE OBSTRUCTIONS. DURING THE INTERVIEW THE PILOT'S PREFLIGHT ACTIONS AND FUEL SYSTEM MANAGEMENT WERE DISCUSSED. HE STATED THAT HE LOOKED INSIDE BOTH FUEL TANKS AND OBSERVED THE FUEL LEVEL "AT OR SLIGHTLY BELOW THE TABS" (34 TOTAL GALLONS). THE PILOT SAID OPERATOR RENTS THE AIRPLANES ON A "WET" BASIS, AND IN HIS EXPERIENCE, THE AIRPLANES ARE FUELED TO THAT LEVEL AFTER EVERY FLIGHT. THE PILOT SAID HE STARTED AND TOOK OFF ON THE RIGHT TANK, AND SINCE HIS HABIT WAS TO CHANGE TANK POSITIONS EVERY 30 MINUTES, HE BELIEVES HE SWITCHED TO THE LEFT TANK HALFWAY TO TUCSON, BACK TO THE RIGHT TANK FOR THE FLIGHT BACK TO THE PHOENIX AREA, AND FINALLY SWITCHED TO THE LEFT TANK APPROACHING SCOTTSDALE. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE FUEL GAGES APPEARED TO REGISTER LEVELS THAT WERE CONSISTENT WITH HIS OBSERVATIONS OF THE TANK LEVELS DURING THE PREFLIGHT. POST ACCIDENT DOCUMENTATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY THE RESPONDING SCOTTSDALE AIRPORT OPERATIONS PERSONNEL, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND POLICE OFFICERS FOUND THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE LEFT TANK POSITION. NO FUEL LEAKAGE WAS NOTED FROM THE TANKS AND NO STAINING WAS EVIDENT TO THE ASPHALT UNDER THE AIRPLANE. COMPARISON OF THE HOBBS HOUR METER READINGS WHEN THE PILOT TOOK THE AIRPLANE AND AN THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE HAD OPERATED FOR 2.3 HOURS SINCE ENGINE START AT MESA. THE OPERATOR WAS ASKED FOR ALL DOCUMENTATION RELATING TO FUELING AND OPERATION OF THE AIRPLANE ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY MANAGER, FALCON EXECUTIVE AVIATION (FAE) RENTS ITS AIRPLANES ON A WET BASIS AND ALSO HAS THE FUEL CONCESSION FOR THE MESA AIRPORT. AS THE AIRPLANES RETURN FROM FLIGHTS, THE COMPANY FUEL TRUCKS REFUEL THE AIRPLANE TANKS TO THE TABS, UNLESS THE PILOT REQUESTS MORE. ACCORDING TO THE RENTAL RECORDS, THE AIRPLANE WAS RENTED THREE TIMES ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FIRST RENTAL PERIOD WAS FROM 0900 UNTIL 1100, WITH THAT PILOT OPERATING THE AIRPLANE FOR 0.9 HOURS. THE SECOND RENTAL WAS SCHEDULED FROM 1200 UNTIL 1600, WITH THAT PILOT OPERATING THE AIRPLANE FOR 2.4 HOURS. THE FINAL PERIOD WAS SCHEDULED BY THE ACCIDENT PILOT FROM 1730 UNTIL 2100. THE FUELING RECORDS SHOW THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS ONLY FUELED THAT DAY AT 1110, WITH THE ADDITION OF 9.0 GALLONS. FAE'S MANAGER STATED THAT AN AUDIT OF THE FUEL DISPENSED THAT DAY SHOWED THAT THE TOTAL FUEL DISPENSED BALANCED WITH THE FUEL SLIPS, WITH NO UNACCOUNTED FOR AMOUNT MISSING. THE FUELING PERSONNEL FOR FAE PROVIDED WRITTEN STATEMENTS. ONE REPORTED THAT HE ONLY REFUELED THE AIRPLANE AT 1110 ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE SECOND FUELER STATED THAT HE DID NOT PUT ANY FUEL INTO THE AIRPLANE. HE SAID THAT ABOUT 1810 HE PULLED UP TO THE FRONT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE AS THE TWO PEOPLE WERE PREPARING TO GET IN IT. HE ASKED THE PILOT IF HE NEEDED FUEL AND THE PILOT RESPONDED THAT HE WAS "GOOD" AND DID NOT NEED ANY. THE REFUELER SAID THAT AFTER THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, HE DID NOT CHECK THE FUEL LEVEL AND PROCEEDED DOWN THE FLIGHT LINE CHECKING THE OTHER AIRPLANES. ## 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 LAX03LA047](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX03LA047), Dec 9, 2002: Piper PA-28-161 (N2588Y), Scottsdale, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and failure to refuel the airplane resulting in a loss of engine power due to 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.