- Date
- May 15, 1983, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Spring Arbor, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3242ZPiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830515019109A
- Case key
- 12174
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 acft made a forced landing off the arpt when the engine quit during takeoff climb. The acft had about 1/2 a tank of fuel in both right and left tank before takeoff. The plt was using the right tank for takeoff. The plt had done a 180 degree left turn on the rwy for takeoff. The engine quit at about 200 ft AGL during takeoff. A maintenance inspector forfaa states that 'when fuel is being used from a tank on the outside of a turn, the engine may quit.' With less than a full tank of fuel in the right tank and a turn to the left the centrifugal force would move the fuel outward causing an interruption in the fuel supply. This leaves an air bubble in the fuel line. When this bubble reaches the carburetor theengine quits. No other reason was found for the engine stoppage in this accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3242Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-7189
- Airframe hours
- 2,000
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jerry Marowelli
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 1982
- Destination
- JXN · Jackson, MI
- Airport
- Corn Stubble, runway 27, 1,600 × ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 450 total · 450 in this make and model · 430 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JXN, 5 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.