- Date
- September 8, 1988, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Watertown, WI
- Injuries
- 3 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9346CPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880908038499A
- Case key
- 14160
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 pilot in command's improper selection of the fuel tank, and his subsequent failure to maintain control of the aircraft.
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 planned a cross-country trip with passengers and because of their weight, he elected to not fill the outboard tanks with fuel. He took off with the empty right outboard tank selected and fuel starvation occurred at 200' AGL. The pilot was attempting to avoid power lines and trees when the acft stalled and descended to terrain impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9346C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7800003
- Airframe hours
- 2,714
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Air Water Town
- Registered owner
- Charles P. Johnson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 30, 1988
- Departed
- RYV · Watertown, WI
- Destination
- Y62 · Sault St. Marie, MI
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 436 total · 24 in this make and model · 323 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 12 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- UES, 23 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 N9346C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.