20040731015869I

Incident

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-235 · Lamarque, TX · July 31, 2004

Date: July 31, 2004 · 11:58 local
Place: Lamarque, TX
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N8852W
Reported as: Piper PA28235
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,000 total200 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N8852WRegistered now · Piper PA-28-235S/N 28-10405 · Built 1964 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) On July 31, 2004, at approx 1158 local time N8852W landed on highway 45 just north of the galveston island causeway after the pilot reported an engine failure. The aircraft landed without incident and came to rest on the south bound access road, with no injuries to the pilot or passengers. The pilot stated that they were in cruise flight and when he changed fuel tanks to the right main fuel tank that the engine stopped running, he changed back but could still not re-start the engine. Investigation found that the carburetor fuel bowl had a large amount of dirt, debris and water in the fuel bowl. In addition, the fuel strainer on the carburetor was full of dirt, debris and rust. The pilot's bfr and medical certificate issues are being worked by the operations unit hou-fsdo.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JULY 31, 2004, AT APPROX 1158 LOCAL TIME N8852W LANDED ON HIGHWAY 45 JUST NORTH OF THE GALVESTON ISLAND CAUSEWAY AFTER THE PILOT REPORTED AN ENGINE FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND CAME TO REST ON THE SOUTH BOUND ACCESS ROAD, WITH NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PASSENGERS. THE PILOT STATED THAT THEY WERE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AND WHEN HE CHANGED FUEL TANKS TO THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK THAT THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING, HE CHANGED BACK BUT COULD STILL NOT RE-START THE ENGINE. INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE CARBURETOR FUEL BOWL HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF DIRT, DEBRIS AND WATER IN THE FUEL BOWL. IN ADDITION, THE FUEL STRAINER ON THE CARBURETOR WAS FULL OF DIRT, DEBRIS AND RUST. THE PILOT'S BFR AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATE ISSUES ARE BEING WORKED BY THE OPERATIONS UNIT HOU-FSDO.