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20151002017729A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Huntsville, TX · October 2, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 2, 2015 · 10:30 local
Place
Huntsville, TX
Airport
Huntsville Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N3552K
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN16FA001
Reported as
Piper PA-28-140
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N3552KRegistration cancelled Dec 19, 2015 · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-23623 · Built 1967Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140Engine 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.

According to the department of public safety aircraft accident report obtained, at approximately 1030 CDT on 10/02/2015, the pilot departed Huntsville Municipal Airport (kuts) for lone star executive airport (kcxo) in conroe, TX. Around 1900 that evening, the walker county sheriffs office was notified by a family member that the aircraft never made it to his destination and was missing. Around 2130, the aircraft was located inverted approximately a quarter of a mile east of Huntsville Municipal Airport. The pilot was pronounced deceased at the scene and was transported to sam houston funeral home in Huntsville, TX.

The aircraft sustained the following damage and was determined to be destroyed:

? The left wing was secure to the fuselage but displayed substantial impact damage to the leading edge just outboard of the fuel tank as well as near the wingtip. The impact separated the wing between the flap and aileron with the sections being held together by the aileron hinge points.

? The right wing was in place and secure to the fuselage but displayed impact damage, which buckled the wing downward just outboard of the aileron bellcrank.

? The vertical stabilizer and rudder were in place but displayed compression damage from the inverted impact.

? The upper cabin area was crushed down to the top of the seats.

After on scene investigation by team of FAA, NTSB, Piper and Lycoming representatives, it was determined that the engine was not operating, when the aircraft impacted the ground. The fuel selector handle was of the old type, according to the Piper investigator, and was found in the forward ?off? Position. No other anomalies were found with the engine or aircraft that would explain why the engine was not running. The LH fuel tank was found to be essentially empty of fuel, but the RH tank still had approximately 5 gallons remaining, even after dripping for over 12 hours.

Weather: kuts 030153Z auto 05004KT 10SM clr 21/05 A2991 rmk A02 SLP123 T02110050.

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT OBTAINED, AT APPROXIMATELY 1030 CDT ON 10/02/2015, THE PILOT DEPARTED HUNTSVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KUTS) FOR LONE STAR EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (KCXO) IN CONROE, TX. AROUND 1900 THAT EVENING, THE WALKER COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED BY A FAMILY MEMBER THAT THE AIRCRAFT NEVER MADE IT TO HIS DESTINATION AND WAS MISSING. AROUND 2130, THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED INVERTED APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER OF A MILE EAST OF HUNTSVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE PILOT WAS PRONOUNCED DECEASED AT THE SCENE AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO SAM HOUSTON FUNERAL HOME IN HUNTSVILLE, TX.

THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE AND WAS DETERMINED TO BE DESTROYED:

? THE LEFT WING WAS SECURE TO THE FUSELAGE BUT DISPLAYED SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE JUST OUTBOARD OF THE FUEL TANK AS WELL AS NEAR THE WINGTIP. THE IMPACT SEPARATED THE WING BETWEEN THE FLAP AND AILERON WITH THE SECTIONS BEING HELD TOGETHER BY THE AILERON HINGE POINTS.

? THE RIGHT WING WAS IN PLACE AND SECURE TO THE FUSELAGE BUT DISPLAYED IMPACT DAMAGE, WHICH BUCKLED THE WING DOWNWARD JUST OUTBOARD OF THE AILERON BELLCRANK.

? THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER WERE IN PLACE BUT DISPLAYED COMPRESSION DAMAGE FROM THE INVERTED IMPACT.

? THE UPPER CABIN AREA WAS CRUSHED DOWN TO THE TOP OF THE SEATS.

AFTER ON SCENE INVESTIGATION BY TEAM OF FAA, NTSB, PIPER AND LYCOMING REPRESENTATIVES, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT OPERATING, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE WAS OF THE OLD TYPE, ACCORDING TO THE PIPER INVESTIGATOR, AND WAS FOUND IN THE FORWARD ?OFF? POSITION. NO OTHER ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE ENGINE OR AIRCRAFT THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING. THE LH FUEL TANK WAS FOUND TO BE ESSENTIALLY EMPTY OF FUEL, BUT THE RH TANK STILL HAD APPROXIMATELY 5 GALLONS REMAINING, EVEN AFTER DRIPPING FOR OVER 12 HOURS.

WEATHER: KUTS 030153Z AUTO 05004KT 10SM CLR 21/05 A2991 RMK A02 SLP123 T02110050.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB CEN16FA001Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportHuntsville, TXThe pilot's mismanagement off the fuel supply to the engine, which resulted in fuel starvation.Oct 2, 2015 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3552K · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19860726066569IFinal Approach · Guthrie, OKAircraft made hard landing short of runway after experiencing rapid rate of descent.Jul 26, 1986 · Minor damage