20030823022009A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-38-112 · Panama City, FL · August 23, 2003

Date: August 23, 2003 · 11:15 local
Place: Panama City, FL
Airport: Panama City-Bay County
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N40PA
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA03LA170
Reported as: Piper PA38112
Reported engine: Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 700 total300 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N40PARegistration cancelled Oct 9, 2007 · Piper PA-38-112S/N 38-78A0628 · Built 1978 Airframe modelPiper PA-38-112 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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) Aircraft was operated in an airworthy condition when it was operated with 93 octane automobile gasoline by the current owner/operator. This caused the sealant (1422) within the aircrafts wing tank to become loose allowing small particles to displace and degrade the integrity of the fuel system, particles were found throughout the wing tanks, electric driven fuel pump, and carburetor. Fuel starvation is believed to be the cause for the engine to quit running due to the contamination of the fuel system and restricting fuel flow. There is a supplemental type certificate allowing this engine to run on automobile gasoline but not on this make and model aircraft due to the wet wing design. In addition, the right wing fuel vent was clogged by foreign material possibly contributing to the fuel starvation.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION WHEN IT WAS OPERATED WITH 93 OCTANE AUTOMOBILE GASOLINE BY THE CURRENT OWNER/OPERATOR. THIS CAUSED THE SEALANT (1422) WITHIN THE AIRCRAFTS WING TANK TO BECOME LOOSE ALLOWING SMALL PARTICLES TO DISPLACE AND DEGRADE THE INTEGRITY OF THE FUEL SYSTEM, PARTICLES WERE FOUND THROUGHOUT THE WING TANKS, ELECTRIC DRIVEN FUEL PUMP, AND CARBURETOR. FUEL STARVATION IS BELIEVED TO BE THE CAUSE FOR THE ENGINE TO QUIT RUNNING DUE TO THE CONTAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM AND RESTRICTING FUEL FLOW. THERE IS A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE ALLOWING THIS ENGINE TO RUN ON AUTOMOBILE GASOLINE BUT NOT ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT DUE TO THE WET WING DESIGN. IN ADDITION, THE RIGHT WING FUEL VENT WAS CLOGGED BY FOREIGN MATERIAL POSSIBLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE FUEL STARVATION.

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 MIA03LA170Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPanama City, FLThe pilot's failure to follow the airplane manufacturer's recommendation to not use automobile fuel in the airplane resulting in deterioration of the fuel tank sealant, fuel starvation of the engine from fuel system contamination, and subsequent collision…Aug 23, 2003 · Substantial damage