# Accident 20030314004899A: Piper PA28180, Dodd City, TX, March 14, 2003 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 14, 2003 - Place: Dodd City, TX - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.6117° N, 96.1792° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6117&lon=-96.1792&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5264L, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5264L-2017-03-10) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28180 - Reported engine: LYC O360* - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 90 total, 10 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW03LA113](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA113) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030314004899A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) AIRCRAFT CRASHED WHILE ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WITH A DESTINATION OF BONHAM, TEXAS AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 HOURS. ONE PERSON WAS ON BOARD AND HER INJURIES INCLUDED A BROKEN ARM, A BROKEN NOSE AND NUMEROUS LACERATIONS ACCORDING TO WITNESS. THE OCCUPANT DEPARTED THE WRECKAGE AND WALKED ABOUT ONE MILE TO SILICIT HELP. IIC WAS NOTIFIED BY SOUTHWEST REGION COMM. CENTER AT 1955 HOURS ON 03-14-03. FAA ICC ARRIVED AT THE WRECKAGE SITE AT ABOUT 1030 HOURS ON 03-15-2003. THE AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED THROUGH A GROVE OF MATURE TREES AND CAME TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THE RIGHT WING WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND LYING ABOUT 6 FEET FROM THE MAIN FUSELAGE. BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE COMPROMISED FROM IMPACT AND THERE WAS NO ODOR OF FUEL SPILLAGE IN THE GENERAL AREA OF THE WRECKAGE. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SELECTED ON THE LEFT FUEL TANK AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE WRECKAGE WAS RECOVERED BY AIR SALVAGE OF DALLAS. ON 03-21-2003 AT 1300, THE FAA IIC VISITED THE PILOT AT PARKLAND HOSPITAL IN DALLAS, TEXAS. THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE LEFT MERIDAN, MISS AT ABOUT 1430 HOURS WITH A DESTINATION OF SHERMAN FOR A FUEL STOP. SHE CLIMBED TO 6500 FEET AGL TO GET ABOVE HAZE AND THEN WHEN GETTING CLOSE TO HER DESTINATION, SHE DESCENDED TO 4500 FEET AGL AND PROCEEDED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. SHE STATED THAT SHE THEN DESCENDED TO 3000 FEET AGL AND A COUPLEOF MINUTES AFTER LEVELING OUT, THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. SHE THEN PULLED ON CARBURETOR HEAT AND PUMPED THE THROTTLE BUT THE ENGINE THEN QUIT. SHE ATTEMPTED AN OFF FIELD LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD (PASTURE) BUT FAILED TO MAKE THE FIELD AND CRASHED INTO THE TREES JUST SHORT OF HER INTENDED SPOT. SHE THEN WAS ABLE TO EXTRACT HERSELF FROM THE WRECKAGE AND WALKED ABOUT THREE FOURTHS OF A MILE TO A LOCAL FARMHOUS WHERE SHE WAS THEN TAKEN FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION. ON MARCH 28, 2003, THE FAA IIC MET WITH MR. MICHAEL C. MCCLURE REPRESENTING PIPER AIRCRAFT, MR. JOHN B. BUTLER REPRESENTING LYCOMING ENGINES AND MR. DON HENDRICKS REPRESENTING THE INSURANCE HOLDER AT AIR SALVAGE OF DALLAS, LANCASTER TEXAS. MR. ALFRED LOUQUE HAD MOUNTED THE ENGINE ON A MOBILE ENGINE TEST STAND FOR AN ENGINE PERFORMANCE TEST. THE SUBJECT ENGINE WAS STARTED AND RAN THROUGH ALL PHASES FROM START TO 2400 RPM WITH NO PROBLEMS. ALL ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WAS STILL MOUNTED AS REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PROPELLER AND EXHAUST SYSTEM. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL TANK DID NOT SHOW SIGNS OF FUEL IN THE TANK AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE LEFT TANK SHOWED EVIDENCE OF "BALLOONING" AT THE TIME OF IMPACT INDICATING THAT THE TANK HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN IT AT TIME OF IMPACT. IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR BACKING PLATE WAS OF THE "OLD TYPE" AND THE SELECTOR HANDLE WAS OF THE NEW TYPE. THE FUEL SELECTOR BACKING PLATE HAD A NUMBER OF EXTRA HOLES DRILLED IN IT WHICH HAD SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN FILLED IN USING PULL TYPE RIVETS. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE, BACKING PLATE AND HANDLE WERE REMOVED AND RETAINED BYTHE FAA IIC. ## 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 FTW03LA113](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA113), Mar 14, 2003: Piper PA-28-180 (N5264L), Bonham, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as result of the unapproved fuel selector valve handle installed on the aircraft by an unknown person. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable… ## Other reports on N5264L (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19750515011939A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19750515011939A), May 15, 1975: Piper PA28180 (N5264L), Shafter, CA, Substantial damage. Chain drive came off both ctl wheel sprocket due bent t bar. Reason undet. Had no aileron ctl. 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.