- Date
- July 3, 2001, 16:55 local (20:55 UTC)
- Place
- Mecosta, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8007NPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 2, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20010703017119A
- Case key
- 53263
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 inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot and fuel starvation. Additional causes were the aircraft control not maintained, and the inadvertent stall by the pilot.
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 was turning towards the departure airport following a reported sputtering of the engine by witnesses. The engine then stopped and the left wing dropped. Examination of the wreckage revealed that there was no fuel in the fuel lines leading to the carburetor. The fuel selector was positioned onto the left fuel tank which was found not to contain any usable fuel.
Factual narrative
On July 3, 2001, at 1655 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N8007N, owned and piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed on impacted terrain following a loss of engine power during climbout from the Canadian Lakes Airport, Mecosta, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot received serious injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
Witnesses reported that the airplane departed in a southerly direction. At approximately 200 feet agl, the engine began sputtering. The airplane made a right climbing banked turn and gained 50-100 feet at which time the engine quit. The engine stopped and the left wing dropped.
Examination of the airplane by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed that the fuel selector was selected to the left fuel tank. The left fuel tank did not contain fuel and the right tank contained 15 gallons of fuel. The fuel line from the electric pump to the engine driven pump did not contain fuel. The fuel line leading to the carburetor did not contain fuel. The carburetor fuel bowl contained fuel level which was less than 1/16 inch in depth. The engine was rotated and compression was obtained from all cylinders and engine continuity was established. Electrical continuity of both magnetos was confirmed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8007N
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-25248
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert Morris
- Departed
- 05C · Canadian Lakes, MI
- Airport
- 05C · Canadian Lakes, runway 18, 3,800 × 100 ft
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
- 78
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,863 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 8 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- RQB, 15 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.
Other investigations on N8007N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.