- Date
- April 6, 1982, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Tazewell, VA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7841PPiper PA-24-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 6, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820406008019A
- Case key
- 72797
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that the engine failed at 8000 ft in clear air and level flight. He immediately attempted to switch the fuel selector to one of the two remaining full fuel tanks but the selector would not move. After repeated attempts to switch tanks using a pair of pliers a forced landing was made on a snow covered rolling field. The landing was made uphill and the left wing contacted a fence post on landing roll. The pilot stated that he thought that there was frozen water in the fuel selector valve.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7841P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3063
- Airframe hours
- 3,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1A5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Leonard W. Johnson
- Registered owner
- Leonard W. Johnson
- Departed
- GA1 · Gaithersburg, MD
- Destination
- Huntsville, AL
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 1,995 in this make and model · 2,319 as pilot in command · 89 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 104 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.