- Date
- October 17, 1982, 21:30 local (Oct 18, 1982, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Vandalia, OH
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4740SPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821017055789A
- Case key
- 72918
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 pilot estimated that he had 40 gal of fuel on board when he departed parkersburg, WV for new carlisle, OH. During a night arrival at new carlisle, he was unable to activate the runway lights by keying his microphone. Therefore, he diverted to Vandalia, OH. After landing, he made a telephone call to arrange for the runway lights to be turned on manually at new carlisle. After a short wait, the pilot took off again for new carlisle. However, shortly after taking off, the engine lost power and the pilot was unable to get a restart. Subsequently, he crashed landed in a soy bean field. An inspection of the aircraft revealed there was fuel in both auxiliary (tip) tanks, about 5.5 gal in the right main tank, 1 pint in the left main, but no fuel in the line from the engine driven fuel pump to the carburetor. The fuel selector was found in the right main position. The pilot reported that this was the tank he selected for takeoff and was also the tank position selected when he experienced the loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4740S
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-1172
- Airframe hours
- 2,510
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thomas E. Fulton
- Registered owner
- Thomas E. Fulton
- Departed
- DAV · Vandalia, OH
- Destination
- OH
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
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 288 total · 180 in this make and model · 210 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Temperature
- 108 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N4740S · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.