- Date
- July 18, 1989, 20:00 local (Jul 19, 1989, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Somerset, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8914WPiper PA-28-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890718023109A
- Case key
- 8047
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to adequately perform an airplane pre-flight inspection and drain water present in the airplane fuel supply. The airplane engine subsequently lost power due to the water contamination.
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 airplane experienced a loss of pwr during cruise, and subsequently made a forced ldg in a field. The airplane landed hard at the edge of the field, and sustained structural damage. A mechanic who examined the airplane after the mishap reported that he found the main fuel sump and carb bowl to be 95% full of water. Subsequent examination of the fuel tank filler cap gaskets by an FAA inspector revealed that the gaskets were in serviceable condition. The plt reported only that he performed a 'proper preflight' prior to departure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8914W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-10483
- Airframe hours
- 1,560
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fulaks, Donald D.
- Registered owner
- Fulks, Donald
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 3, 1988 · 46 hours before
- Departed
- I86 · New Lexington, OH
- Destination
- Unknown
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,018 total · 620 in this make and model · 21 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8914W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.