- Date
- November 16, 2008, 16:53 local (22:53 UTC)
- Place
- Stafford, KS
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6744WPiper PA-28-140
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 24, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20081116851599A
- Case key
- 69465
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
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot and his passenger had just departed in a single-engine airplane when the engine stopped producing power. The pilot attempted to switch the fuel selector to the fuller fuel tank, while making a left hand turn back towards the airport. He was unable to maintain altitude and landed hard in a cornfield resulting in substantial damage to the firewall and left wing spar. Examination of the airplane revealed that both fuel tanks were intact and filled with some fuel; however, the fuel was not drained to determine if there was any contamination or to verify how much fuel was in each tank. Engine continuity was established by manual rotation of the propeller, and no obvious mechanical deficiencies were noted.
Factual narrative
The student pilot and his passenger had just departed in a single-engine airplane when the engine stopped producing power. The pilot attempted to switch the fuel selector to the fuller fuel tank, while making a left hand turn back towards the airport. He was unable to maintain altitude and landed hard in a cornfield resulting in substantial damage to the firewall and left wing spar. Examination of the airplane revealed that both fuel tanks were intact and filled with some fuel; however, the fuel was not drained to determine if there was any contamination or to verify how much fuel was in each tank. Engine continuity was established by manual rotation of the propeller, and no obvious mechanical deficiencies were noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6744W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-20867
- Airframe hours
- 3,800
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Astle Charles W
- Registered owner
- Astle Charles W
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2008
- Departed
- 3TA · Stafford, KS
- Destination
- 3TA · Stafford, KS
- Airport
- 3TA · Stafford Municpal Airport, runway 17, 2,560 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 54
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 109 total · 30 in this make and model · 3 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
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 N6744W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.