20040709020399I

Incident

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-235 · Baldwin, WI · July 9, 2004

Date: July 9, 2004 · 16:30 local
Place: Baldwin, WI
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N5088M
Reported as: Piper PA28235
Reported engine: Lycoming O540B4B5
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 93 total8 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

N5088MRegistered now · Piper PA-28-235S/N 28-10928 · Built 1967 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-235 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) The pilot of aircraft N5088M, a Mr. David olson, stated he was in cruise flight when the engine began to lose power. After a few moments the engine quit running, and he elected to make an emergency landing. The pilot stated to the FAA the fuel selector was on the left tip tank, and the tank was allowed to run dry in cruise flight. There was fuel in both main tanks and the right tip tank. The pilot stated he saw the fuel selector on the left tip tank, but took no action to select another fuel cell. The aircraft was at 2500 ft. MSL when the engine began to lose power. The pilot did not switch to another fuel tank, switch mags, or execute an emergency landing checklist. He did turn on the fuel boost pump, lean the mixture, and move the propeller control full forward for maximum propeller RPM in preparation for the emergency landing.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT OF AIRCRAFT N5088M, A MR. DAVID OLSON, STATED HE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING, AND HE ELECTED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE PILOT STATED TO THE FAA THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON THE LEFT TIP TANK, AND THE TANK WAS ALLOWED TO RUN DRY IN CRUISE FLIGHT. THERE WAS FUEL IN BOTH MAIN TANKS AND THE RIGHT TIP TANK. THE PILOT STATED HE SAW THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE LEFT TIP TANK, BUT TOOK NO ACTION TO SELECT ANOTHER FUEL CELL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT 2500 FT. MSL WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT DID NOT SWITCH TO ANOTHER FUEL TANK, SWITCH MAGS, OR EXECUTE AN EMERGENCY LANDING CHECKLIST. HE DID TURN ON THE FUEL BOOST PUMP, LEAN THE MIXTURE, AND MOVE THE PROPELLER CONTROL FULL FORWARD FOR MAXIMUM PROPELLER RPM IN PREPARATION FOR THE EMERGENCY LANDING.