# Accident 20060811016459A: Piper PA32300, Obyan, Northern Mariana Islands, August 11, 2006

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 11, 2006
- Place: Obyan, Northern Mariana Islands
- Airport: Saipan International
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: Z8TA
- Location: 15.1236° N, 145.7475° E: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=15.1236&lon=145.7475&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4509T, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4509T-2011-12-05) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-300 (registry code 7103212, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32300
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 560 total, 88 in this make and model, 106 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX06FA258](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06FA258) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060811016459A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX06FA258](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06FA258), Aug 11, 2006: Piper PA-32-300 (N4509T), Saipan, Sark, destroyed. Probable cause: A 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…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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