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20050209001359A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Superior, MT · February 9, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 9, 2005 · 16:30 local
Place
Superior, MT
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6399W
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA05LA048
Reported as
Piper PA28140
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
116 total21 in this make and model21 in the last 90 days
N6399WRegistration cancelled Apr 27, 2015 · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-20467 · Built 1964Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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 February 9, 2005, at 1630 MST, a Piper PA-28-140, N6399W, sustained substantial damage during a forced off-field landing, 2 miles east of Superior, Montana. The certified private pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight. The flight departed from Idaho falls, Idaho, with a destination of libby, Montana. A flight plan was not filed. The pilot was planning to land in Superior, Montana, because the fuel gauges indicated that the tanks were less then one-quarter full. The pilot stated that he observed an aircraft on the runway at Superior, and was maneuvering when the engine quit. The aircraft sustained damage to both wing tips, the firewall, engine mount, cowling, and propeller. When the fuel tanks were drained by maintenance personnel, the left tank had approximately 5 1/2 gallons, and the right tank had less than 1 quart. The aircraft was disassembled and tracked to missoula, Montana, for repair. privacy data omitted

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON FEBRUARY 9, 2005, AT 1630 MST, A PIPER PA-28-140, N6399W, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED OFF-FIELD LANDING, 2 MILES EAST OF SUPERIOR, MONTANA. THE CERTIFIED PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO, WITH A DESTINATION OF LIBBY, MONTANA. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE PILOT WAS PLANNING TO LAND IN SUPERIOR, MONTANA, BECAUSE THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED THAT THE TANKS WERE LESS THEN ONE-QUARTER FULL. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE OBSERVED AN AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY AT SUPERIOR, AND WAS MANEUVERING WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO BOTH WING TIPS, THE FIREWALL, ENGINE MOUNT, COWLING, AND PROPELLER. WHEN THE FUEL TANKS WERE DRAINED BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, THE LEFT TANK HAD APPROXIMATELY 5 1/2 GALLONS, AND THE RIGHT TANK HAD LESS THAN 1 QUART. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DISASSEMBLED AND TRACKED TO MISSOULA, MONTANA, FOR REPAIR. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

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 SEA05LA048Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSuperior, MTA loss of engine power due to the pilot's inadequate planning/decision and improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation. A contributing factor was the berm.Feb 9, 2005 · Substantial damage