- Date
- June 21, 1989, 15:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Delphi, IN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N30BSPiper PA-24-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890621016789A
- Case key
- 14258
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
Improper planning/decision of the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion from an inadequate supply of fuel, and his failure to maintain flying speed during a forced landing, which resulted in a stall and subsequent impact with the ground.
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 aircraft had been parked for 14 months and did not have a current annual inspection when the owner/pilot took it for a flight. No known witnesses saw the aircraft takeoff. Subsequently, the aircraft impacted in a field just north of the airport. It was found when a motorist saw a dust cloud in the field & proceeded to investigate. An exam of the crashsite revealed the acft had impacted just northeast of where it had come to rest. The aircraft was extensively damaged during impact. Both prop blades were bent aft & neither had chordwise polishing or scratches. No usable fuel was found in the aircraft. Although the fuel pump filter was wet & the lines were broken between the gascolator & carburetor, no fuel was found in the lines or electric fuel pump. The accident occurred on a day when the arpt was unattended & fuel was not available. A toxicology check showed no alcohol in the pilot's blood. Although his kidney tissue had an alcohol level of 0.056%, the toxicology report indicated the alcohol was '. . . Due to tissue decomposition or contamination.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30BS
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- PA-24-997
- Airframe hours
- 2,109
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Waskiewicz, Richard C.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1987 · 52 hours before
- Airport
- 1I9 · Delphi Muni
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 343 total · 314 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAF, 14 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.