20060811016459A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-300 · Obyan, Northern Mariana Islands · August 11, 2006

Date: August 11, 2006
Place: Obyan, Northern Mariana Islands
Airport: Saipan International
Phase of flight: Takeoff
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: Z8TA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N4509T
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX06FA258
Reported as: Piper PA32300
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 560 total88 in this make and model106 in the last 90 days

N4509TRegistration cancelled Dec 5, 2011 · Piper PA-32-300S/N 32-7240083 · Built 1972 Airframe modelPiper PA-32-300 Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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) N4509T, PA32, taga, air, departed Saipan on right turn out at 0916 PDT. Crashed one mile from airport at 0917 PDT. The pilot of aircraft N4509T was not an employee on taga air 135 certificate during the time of accident. He is an employee of tinian hotel. During the time of the investigation it was noted that the fuel selector valve position was on the left wing tip tank. His procedure was to change fuel tanks from one main tank to the other prior to each departure from tinian.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) N4509T, PA32, TAGA, AIR, DEPARTED SAIPAN ON RIGHT TURN OUT AT 0916 PDT. CRASHED ONE MILE FROM AIRPORT AT 0917 PDT. THE PILOT OF AIRCRAFT N4509T WAS NOT AN EMPLOYEE ON TAGA AIR 135 CERTIFICATE DURING THE TIME OF ACCIDENT. HE IS AN EMPLOYEE OF TINIAN HOTEL. DURING THE TIME OF THE INVESTIGATION IT WAS NOTED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE POSITION WAS ON THE LEFT WING TIP TANK. HIS PROCEDURE WAS TO CHANGE FUEL TANKS FROM ONE MAIN TANK TO THE OTHER PRIOR TO EACH DEPARTURE FROM TINIAN.

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 LAX06FA258Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal reportSaipan, SarkA loss of engine power during the initial climb due to fuel starvation resulting from the pilot's improper fuel selector valve position selection and his failure to select a tank containing an adequate fuel supply. Contributing to the accident was the high…Aug 11, 2006 · Destroyed