- Date
- July 12, 1987, 23:15 local (Jul 13, 1987, 04:15 UTC)
- Place
- Vincennes, IN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8155APiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report October 7, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870712034489A
- Case key
- 13789
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.
Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical
Fuel tank selector position - improperCause
Fuel system - starvationCause
Lack of familiarity with aircraftFactor
Preflight planning/preparation - inadequateCause
Forced landing
On ground/water encounter with terrain/water
Terrain condition - dirt bank/rising embankment
Analysis
The pilot attempted to takeoff with the fuel tank selector selected to an empty tank. Shortly after lift-off the engine stopped and the acft skidded across a road and struck an embankment.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8155A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8090235
- Airframe hours
- 3,499
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Logansport Flying Service
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 10, 1987 · 2 hours before
- Destination
- GGP · Logansport, IN
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 46 total · 3 in this make and model · 23 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,800 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HUF, 47 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.