# Incident 20150312004029I: Piper PA-32-300, Startzville, TX, March 12, 2015

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 12, 2015, 14:30 local time
- Place: Startzville, TX
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.8447° N, 98.2739° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Startzville, TX, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.8447&lon=-98.2739&mi=10
- Aircraft: N745AA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N745AA) (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 PA-32-300
- Reported engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 13,480 total, 22 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150312004029I

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED BULVERDE AIRPORT (1T8) FOR HUBER AIRPORT (E70) FOR A PASSENGER PICK UP STOP. AIRCRAFT THEN DEPARTED FOR A FLY OVER OF CANYON LAKE LOCATED IN COMAL COUNTY TEXAS. AIRCRAFT ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATLEY 2000' MSL. APPROACHING THE WEST END OF THE LAKE, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SURGE PILOT THEN SWICHED ON THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP WHICH MOMENTARILY STOPPED THE SURGE. SECONDS LATER THE ENGINE FAILED. PILOT THEN BEGAN TO LOOK FOR A SUITABLE LANDING SIGHT. PILOT SPOTTED A GOLF COURSE AND SET UP A GLIDE PATH TO THE GOLF COURSE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON THE FAIRWAY OF THE GOLF COURSE, BOUNCED SEVERAL TIMES. ON LAST BOUNCE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND CAUSING AIRCRAFT TO FACE PERPENDICULAR TO THE LANDING DIRECTION CAUSING THE NOSE GEAR STRUT TO COLLAPSE AND BRAKE AWAY FROM THE ENGINE MOUNT. AIRCRAFT THEN CAME TO REST. PILOT AND PASSENGER EGRESSED FROM AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE  RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE MID WAY FROM STRIKING A KNOWN OBJECT DURING THE LANDING ROLL. CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE DEPLETION OF FUEL FROM PILOT OPERATING AIRCRAFT WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR SET TO LEFT WING TIP TANK POSITION. PILOT STATED HE FELT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SET AT THE LEFT MAIN TANK POSITION AND NOT THE LEFT TIP TANK. LEFT AND RIGHT MAINS AND RIGHT TIP TANK WERE FULL OF FUEL AT TIME OF CRASH LANDING.

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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