- Date
- July 29, 1989, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bradshaw, MD
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3663WPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890729025689A
- Case key
- 11468
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
An engine power loss due to fuel starvation for unknown reasons.
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
At about 700 ft MSL on takeoff climb the engine lost power. The pilot made a forced landing. The acft struck a power line during the landing apch. Examination of the acft revealed no significant amount of fuel between the fuel selector valve and engine. The fuel selector was positioned for the left main tank. The fuel selector tested satisfactory for that position. The fuel boost pump switch was off. There was no evidence of fuel system vent obstruction or fuel component malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3663W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-540
- Airframe hours
- 3,258
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- M&7 Property Mgmt. Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 14, 1989 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- 1W2 · Baltimore, MD
- Destination
- WWD · Wildwood, MD
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 181 total · 10 in this make and model · 154 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MTN, 6 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.