- Date
- August 25, 2014, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sedalia, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N532DRPiper PA 32R-301T
- Defining event
- Approach: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20140825016229A
- Case key
- 89962
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 loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Findings · 4
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
During the approach to land, the engine "missed a few times and stopped." The pilot began to trouble shoot the loss of engine power and prepare for a forced landing. He stated that when he checked the fuel selector valve, it moved further to the left which surprised him. During a forced landing to a field the nose wheel collapsed and the left wing was substantially damaged. The fuel selector valve was found in the "off" position. The right-wing fuel tank contained ½ gallon or less of fuel and the left-wing fuel tank contained 36 to 37 gallons of fuel. After the airplane was recovered from the field, fuel was added to the fuel tanks. The engine started without hesitation and ran for several minutes at various power settings without any anomalies or issues. An examination of the remaining airplane, engine, and fuel-related systems revealed no mechanical anomalies.
Factual narrative
During the approach to land, the engine "missed a few times and stopped." The pilot began to trouble shoot the loss of engine power and prepare for a forced landing. He stated that when he checked the fuel selector valve, it moved further to the left which surprised him. During a forced landing to a field the nose wheel collapsed and the left wing was substantially damaged. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the fuel selector valve was found in the "off" position. The right-wing fuel tank contained ½ gallon or less of fuel and the left-wing fuel tank contained 36 to 37 gallons of fuel. After the airplane was recovered from the field, fuel was added to the fuel tanks. The engine started without hesitation and ran for several minutes at various power settings without any anomalies or issues. An examination of the remaining airplane, engine, and fuel-related systems revealed no mechanical anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N532DR
- Reported as
- Piper PA 32R-301T (301T)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3257060
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 1,021.5
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-AHIA, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 23, 2014
- Departed
- IKW · Midland, MI
- Destination
- DMO · Sedalia, MO
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- KDMO · Sedalia Regional Airport
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 11, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 550 total · 65 in this make and model · 517 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KDMO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 3, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.