20101201053399A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Surprise, AZ · December 1, 2010

Date
December 1, 2010 · 10:30 local
Place
Surprise, AZ
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
FQAS
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4122F
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR11LA067
Reported as
Piper PA-28-181
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
60 total60 in this make and model60 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.

The aircraft made a forced landing in a field 15 miles n. luke afb. The accident site was on the abandoned chrysler proving grounds in Surprise AZ.. The first ground scar from nose gear was located approximately 50 feet from where the aircraft came to rest on the opposite side of a wash the aircraft had transitioned. Two other ground impact scars from the left and right main landing gear where located 5-10 feet in front of the initial impact on the same side of a wash. The nose gear was found at the very edge of a wash the aircraft flew over, with additional impact marks in the side of the wash the left main gear was located behind the left wing just in front of the stabilizer and the right gear was folded under the right wing. The right wing struck an iron wood tree and caused substantial damage to the right wing. The aircraft came to rest at a heading of 270 degrees approximately 30' past a deep wash it flew over. This inspector found all the electrical switches were moved to the off position and was able to confirm by interviewing witnesses the phoenix fire depart helicopter first responders turned the switches off. The fuel selector was found on the right tank. When the aircraft was lifted by "air transport" the fuel tanks were inspected. The right tank was not breached but contained no fuel. The left fuel tanks drain had been damaged during the crash sequence. No fuel was found in the tank however the ground below the damaged fuel drain was smelled of fuel and was wet for several inches down and covered at least a 12" diameter area. The aircraft was brought to air transports yard in phoenix, AZ. When fuel system was plumbed into the right and left sides of the aircraft fuel system the engine ran normally through all power settings and ranges.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD 15 MILES N. LUKE AFB. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS ON THE ABANDONED CHRYSLER PROVING GROUNDS IN SURPRISE AZ.. THE FIRST GROUND SCAR FROM NOSE GEAR WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET FROM WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF A WASH THE AIRCRAFT HAD TRANSITIONED. TWO OTHER GROUND IMPACT SCARS FROM THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHERE LOCATED 5-10 FEET IN FRONT OF THE INITIAL IMPACT ON THE SAME SIDE OF A WASH. THE NOSE GEAR WAS FOUND AT THE VERY EDGE OF A WASH THE AIRCRAFT FLEW OVER, WITH ADDITIONAL IMPACT MARKS IN THE SIDE OF THE WASH THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS LOCATED BEHIND THE LEFT WING JUST IN FRONT OF THE STABILIZER AND THE RIGHT GEAR WAS FOLDED UNDER THE RIGHT WING. THE RIGHT WING STRUCK AN IRON WOOD TREE AND CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AT A HEADING OF 270 DEGREES APPROXIMATELY 30' PAST A DEEP WASH IT FLEW OVER.THIS INSPECTOR FOUND ALL THE ELECTRICAL SWITCHES WERE MOVED TO THE OFF POSITION AND WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM BY INTERVIEWING WITNESSES THE PHOENIX FIRE DEPART HELICOPTER FIRST RESPONDERS TURNED THE SWITCHES OFF. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND ON THE RIGHT TANK.WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED BY "AIR TRANSPORT" THE FUEL TANKS WERE INSPECTED. THE RIGHT TANK WAS NOT BREACHED BUT CONTAINED NO FUEL. THE LEFT FUEL TANKS DRAIN HAD BEEN DAMAGED DURING THE CRASH SEQUENCE. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE TANK HOWEVER THE GROUND BELOW THE DAMAGED FUEL DRAIN WAS SMELLED OF FUEL AND WAS WET FOR SEVERAL INCHES DOWN AND COVERED AT LEAST A 12" DIAMETER AREA.THE AIRCRAFT WAS BROUGHT TO AIR TRANSPORTS YARD IN PHOENIX, AZ. WHEN FUEL SYSTEM WAS PLUMBED INTO THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDES OF THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY THROUGH ALL POWER SETTINGS AND RANGES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.