20130423005549I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Yelm, WA · April 23, 2013

Date: April 23, 2013 · 12:09 local
Place: Yelm, WA
Airport: Eatonville
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N4130J
Reported as: Piper PA-28-140
Reported engine: Lycoming 180
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 66 total10 in this make and model

N4130JRegistered now · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-22451 · Built 1966 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

On 4/23/2013, at approximately 1210 PDT, pa- 28-140 aircraft, N4130J, sustained minor damage during an off-airport forced landing. N4130J was enroute from ocean shores, WA (W04) to Eatonville, WA (2W3) on the second leg of a student pilot solo cross country flight when the engine failed due to fuel starvation. The student pilot-in-command attempted an engine re-start which was unsuccessful. The student pilot landed N4130J in an open field causing the nose gear to collapse and minor damage to the front lower engine cowling.

Investigation determined the entire flight of approximately 2.0 hours was conducted on the left fuel tank. Visual inspection of both fuel tanks confirmed the left tank was empty and the other tank showed full fuel [or to the tabs]. Further investigation disclosed the fuel selector was positioned to the left tank. The student pilot was not injured. See item 43.

As the FAA filed it

ON 4/23/2013, AT APPROXIMATELY 1210 PDT, PA- 28-140 AIRCRAFT, N4130J, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE DURING AN OFF-AIRPORT FORCED LANDING. N4130J WAS ENROUTE FROM OCEAN SHORES, WA (W04) TO EATONVILLE, WA (2W3) ON THE SECOND LEG OF A STUDENT PILOT SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE STUDENT PILOT-IN-COMMAND ATTEMPTED AN ENGINE RE-START WHICH WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE STUDENT PILOT LANDED N4130J IN AN OPEN FIELD CAUSING THE NOSE GEAR TO COLLAPSE AND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FRONT LOWER ENGINE COWLING.

INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THE ENTIRE FLIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY 2.0 HOURS WAS CONDUCTED ON THE LEFT FUEL TANK. VISUAL INSPECTION OF BOTH FUEL TANKS CONFIRMED THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE OTHER TANK SHOWED FULL FUEL [OR TO THE TABS]. FURTHER INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO THE LEFT TANK. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. SEE ITEM 43.