# Accident 20030823022009A: Piper PA38112, Panama City, FL, August 23, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 23, 2003, 11:15 local time
- Place: Panama City, FL
- Airport: Panama City-Bay County
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.2000° N, 85.6667° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.2000&lon=-85.6667&mi=10
- Aircraft: N40PA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N40PA-2007-10-09) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-38-112 (registry code 7103812, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-38-112) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA38112
- Reported engine: LYC O235L2C
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 700 total, 300 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA03LA170](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA03LA170) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030823022009A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-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.

## 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 MIA03LA170](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA03LA170), Aug 23, 2003: Piper PA-38-112 (N40PA), Panama City, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The 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 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.

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