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20050314006859A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA32300 · Millersburg, OH · March 14, 2005

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Date
March 14, 2005 · 15:15 local
Place
Millersburg, OH
Airport
Holmes County Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
CFLPB
Reported as
Piper PA32300
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
400 total150 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

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) privacy data omitted aircraft enroute from cmh to ottawa, Canada. At approx 7,500 ft. aircraft experienced loss of power. Pilot stated prop continued to windmill as he switched fuel sources and magneto's, no help. He then attempted to divert and land at 10G. On approach right wing struck tree and departed aircraft. Aircraft impacted ground and cartwheeled approx 50 ft. until coming to rest. Left wing was broken from fuselage and aircraft destroyed. Pilot sustained numerous injuries, but none life threatening. Initial investigation found significant water and debris in fuel selector valve sump drain collection point. Aircraft was fueled on 3/4/05 in cmh, then sat unhangered until it departed on 3/14/05. During this timeframe columbus, OH, experienced significant snowfall. Further investigation found the gaskets for fuel caps on the main and wingtip tanks hard and not pliable. The right main tank fuel cap was loose in secured position. The fuel system from the fuel selector valve, through the lines and into the engine did not contain any significant presence of fuel.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRCRAFT ENROUTE FROM CMH TO OTTAWA, CANADA. AT APPROX 7,500 FT. AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF POWER. PILOT STATED PROP CONTINUED TO WINDMILL AS HE SWITCHED FUEL SOURCES AND MAGNETO'S, NO HELP. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO DIVERT AND LAND AT 10G. ON APPROACH RIGHT WING STRUCK TREE AND DEPARTED AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED GROUND AND CARTWHEELED APPROX 50 FT. UNTIL COMING TO REST. LEFT WING WAS BROKEN FROM FUSELAGE AND AIRCRAFT DESTROYED. PILOT SUSTAINED NUMEROUS INJURIES, BUT NONE LIFE THREATENING. INITIAL INVESTIGATION FOUND SIGNIFICANT WATER AND DEBRIS IN FUEL SELECTOR VALVE SUMP DRAIN COLLECTION POINT. AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED ON 3/4/05 IN CMH, THEN SAT UNHANGERED UNTIL IT DEPARTED ON 3/14/05. DURING THIS TIMEFRAME COLUMBUS, OH, EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL. FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND THE GASKETS FOR FUEL CAPS ON THE MAIN AND WINGTIP TANKS HARD AND NOT PLIABLE. THE RIGHT MAIN TANK FUEL CAP WAS LOOSE IN SECURED POSITION. THE FUEL SYSTEM FROM THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE, THROUGH THE LINES AND INTO THE ENGINE DID NOT CONTAIN ANY SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE OF FUEL.