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20160326002629A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Kentland, IN · March 26, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 26, 2016 · 14:00 local
Place
Kentland, IN
Airport
Kentland
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8154P
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN16LA132
Reported as
Piper PA-24-250
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
5,100 total2,000 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days
N8154PRegistration cancelled May 31, 2018 · Piper PA-24-250S/N 24-3409 · Built 1963Airframe modelPiper PA-24-250Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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.

The aircraft lost engine power on final approach. Investigation found that the pilot had used the right auxiliary fuel tank and depleted the tank of fuel, causing the loss in engine power. The pilot attempted to execute a forced landing in a bean field. The pilot stated that the aircraft stalled approximately ten to fifteen feet above the ground and impacted the field. The aircraft sustained major damage from the impact.

The pilot is actively involved in the general aviation community and is actively involved in aviation education and outreach. The pilot also works with the FAA safety team and occasionally speaks at aviation seminars and similar events. The pilot actively identified the root cause of the accident as failure to follow the proper fuel management procedures and has expressed regret for failing to follow the proper procedures in fuel management. The pilot also discussed the dangers of complacency in aviation with regards to fuel management and abnormal situations. Through conversation with the pilot, it was determined by the investigating inspectors that the airman, and the aviation community in which the airman is actively involved, would benefit most from airman counseling. The pilot was counseled on the importance of following checklists and the proper procedures for fuel management. The pilot was also counseled on the importance of ?sticking to? The proper procedures even when distracted or when abnormal situations exist. The pilot also discussed using this accident and its root cause as an example in aviation education and outreach to help instill the importance of following the proper procedures and to overcome complacency.

See the related ptrs GL03201604278 for the record of counseling.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT LOST ENGINE POWER ON FINAL APPROACH. INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE PILOT HAD USED THE RIGHT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK AND DEPLETED THE TANK OF FUEL, CAUSING THE LOSS IN ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO EXECUTE A FORCED LANDING IN A BEAN FIELD. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT STALLED APPROXIMATELY TEN TO FIFTEEN FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND IMPACTED THE FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE FROM THE IMPACT.

THE PILOT IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE GENERAL AVIATION COMMUNITY AND IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN AVIATION EDUCATION AND OUTREACH. THE PILOT ALSO WORKS WITH THE FAA SAFETY TEAM AND OCCASIONALLY SPEAKS AT AVIATION SEMINARS AND SIMILAR EVENTS. THE PILOT ACTIVELY IDENTIFIED THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT AS FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE PROPER FUEL MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES AND HAS EXPRESSED REGRET FOR FAILING TO FOLLOW THE PROPER PROCEDURES IN FUEL MANAGEMENT. THE PILOT ALSO DISCUSSED THE DANGERS OF COMPLACENCY IN AVIATION WITH REGARDS TO FUEL MANAGEMENT AND ABNORMAL SITUATIONS. THROUGH CONVERSATION WITH THE PILOT, IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE INVESTIGATING INSPECTORS THAT THE AIRMAN, AND THE AVIATION COMMUNITY IN WHICH THE AIRMAN IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED, WOULD BENEFIT MOST FROM AIRMAN COUNSELING. THE PILOT WAS COUNSELED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF FOLLOWING CHECKLISTS AND THE PROPER PROCEDURES FOR FUEL MANAGEMENT. THE PILOT WAS ALSO COUNSELED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ?STICKING TO? THE PROPER PROCEDURES EVEN WHEN DISTRACTED OR WHEN ABNORMAL SITUATIONS EXIST. THE PILOT ALSO DISCUSSED USING THIS ACCIDENT AND ITS ROOT CAUSE AS AN EXAMPLE IN AVIATION EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO HELP INSTILL THE IMPORTANCE OF FOLLOWING THE PROPER PROCEDURES AND TO OVERCOME COMPLACENCY.

SEE THE RELATED PTRS GL03201604278 FOR THE RECORD OF COUNSELING.

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 CEN16LA132Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportKentland, INThe loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Contributing to the accident was the flight…Mar 26, 2016 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8154P · 2

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

Incident 19860720057029IIn Traffic Pattern-Circling · Detroit, MIInstructed to remain clear of tca. Identified 2 miles from airport of intended landing without a clearance.Jul 20, 1986Accident 19770626019889ALevel Off Touchdown · Elmira, NYJun 26, 1977 · Substantial damage