- Date
- September 21, 1991, 09:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Greenville, SC
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8728NPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 9, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910921042299A
- Case key
- 8476
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 dual student's improper positioning of the fuel tank selector handle, and the cfi's inadequate supervision of her student. A factor in this accident was: the cfi's lack of experience as a flight instructor.
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 student pilot and CFI had returned to the airport, where the student was to practice some touch and go landings. On downwind leg, the student performed a before landing check, which included switching fuel tanks from left to right. During the go-around following the first landing, the engine quit, restarted, then quit again. The CFI took over the controls and force landed the airplane in a parking lot at the airport. Examination of the aircraft revealed that the fuel selector handle was in the 12 o'clock position, or between the left and right tank positions. A thorough examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure. The CFI had only 36 hours as a flight instructor, including 6 hours in this model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8728N
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-25541
- Airframe hours
- 4,716
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Carolyn'S Flight Academy
- Registered owner
- Pilaar, Carolyn M.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 1, 1991 · 80 hours before
- Airport
- GMU · Greenville Downtown, runway 36, 5,393 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 39
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,750 total · 141 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GMU, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.