- Date
- June 26, 1993, 12:25 local (16:25 UTC)
- Place
- Elwell, MI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7779PPiper PA-24-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930626020709A
- Case key
- 9169
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 use of the fuel selector by the pilot, which resulted in fuel starvation.
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
A witness reported the engine sputtered and lost power shortly after takeoff. The airplane then struck an oak tree and crashed in a corn field about one-half mile from the airport. No fuel was found in the carburetor or carburetor fuel line. The right main fuel tank was empty. The left main fuel tank was one-half full. The fuel selector was found positioned to the right main tank.
Factual narrative
History of flight
On June 26, 1993 at 1225 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, N7779P, crashed after takeoff from the Hamp Airport, Elwell, Michigan. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the private pilot was fatally injured. No flight plan was filed, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
The airplane crashed in a field about one-half mile east of the airport it had just departed. A farmer who was plowing the field west of the crash site reported the engine sputtered and quit. The airplane struck a tree and crashed into a farm field.
Wreckage
The airplane struck an oak tree located in the fence line of the west side of a corn field, and crashed in the corn field 66 feet east of the tree.
The flaps were down. The landing gear was down. The mixture was rich. The propeller lever was full forward. The throttle was closed.
There was control continuity from the cockpit control pedestal to the rudder, stabilator, and both ailerons. The nose trim was set one division to the right.
There was no fuel leakage at the crash site. The fuel tanks were dip checked with a ruler. The right main tank was empty, and there was no fuel visible in the tank. The left main tank was one-half full. The right auxiliary tank was one-quarter full. The left auxiliary tank was empty, and there was no fuel visible in the tank. When the carburetor fuel line was disconnected, no fuel ran from the carburetor or the main fuel line. The fuel selector was on the right main tank.
No evidence of preimpact mechanical anomalies were discovered with either the engine or the airplane.
Medical and pathological information
A toxicological examination was conducted. The results were negative. An autopsy was performed by Paul L. Ginther, M.D., at the Gratiot Community Hospital, Alma, Michigan.
Additional data
The wreckage was released to Deputy Allen, Gratiot County Sheriff Department.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7779P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-2996
- Airframe hours
- 3,810
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1D5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard C. Isles
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 5, 1993 · 7 hours before
- Destination
- AMN · Alma, 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
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 631 total · 176 in this make and model · 608 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAN, 40 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.