What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) At 2153 z (1553 local time) on 11/16/2008, a student pilot was involved in an airplane accident while departing from the Stafford airport (3TA), Stafford, Kansas. The student pilot was also accompanied by a non-pilot passenger. The aircraft involved in this accident is a PA-28-140, which is owned by the airman. According to the pilot, the aircraft had approximately 5 gallons of fuel in the right tank and 12 gallons in the left; the pilot selected the right tank for takeoff. The aircraft departed runway 17 from Stafford airport (3TA) and at approximately 400 ft above the ground, experiencced a loss of engine power. The airman stated he attempted to change fuel tanks, however the engine did not respond. The student pilot began a left turn back towards the Stafford airport. An emergency landing was attempted in a field south-southeast of the airport; the aircraft sustained substantial damage upon touchdown. A post-accident inspection of the aircraft's engine and associated systems did not reveal any malfunction of discrepancy that could cause a loss of engine power, with the exception of fuel starvation. The remaining fuel quanitty in N6744W'S fuel tanks could not be accurately determined by visual inspection.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AT 2153 Z (1553 LOCAL TIME) ON 11/16/2008, A STUDENT PILOT WAS INVOLVED IN AN AIRPLANE ACCIDENT WHILE DEPARTING FROM THE STAFFORD AIRPORT (3TA), STAFFORD, KANSAS. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY A NON-PILOT PASSENGER. THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN THIS ACCIDENT IS A PA-28-140, WHICH IS OWNED BY THE AIRMAN. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT HAD APPROXIMATELY 5 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK AND 12 GALLONS IN THE LEFT; THE PILOT SELECTED THE RIGHT TANK FOR TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 17 FROM STAFFORD AIRPORT (3TA) AND AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FT ABOVE THE GROUND, EXPERIENCCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE AIRMAN STATED HE ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE FUEL TANKS, HOWEVER THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE STUDENT PILOT BEGAN A LEFT TURN BACK TOWARDS THE STAFFORD AIRPORT. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED IN A FIELD SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT; THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE UPON TOUCHDOWN. A POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS DID NOT REVEAL ANY MALFUNCTION OF DISCREPANCY THAT COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FUEL STARVATION. THE REMAINING FUEL QUANITTY IN N6744W'S FUEL TANKS COULD NOT BE ACCURATELY DETERMINED BY VISUAL INSPECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.