- Date
- November 11, 1992, 18:25 local (Nov 12, 1992, 00:25 UTC)
- Place
- Mankato, MN
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N15609Piper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921111050349A
- Case key
- 15622
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's failure to select a proper fuel selector position.
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 stated that while in an extended traffic pattern to land at the conclusion of a cross country flight, the engine coughed and began windmilling. A forced landing was made during which the airplane contacted power lines. Post accident inspection revealed the fuel selector was found positioned on the left tank which contained 12 gallons of fuel. The right tank was severed by the power lines and found empty. A deputy who arrived at the scene just after the accident stated it did not appear as though any fuel had drained from the right tank. The pilot stated he took off on the left tank, switched to the right after aprx 1 hour, then switched back to the left aprx 8 miles from landing. The passenger sitting in the left front seat, next to the selector, stated the pilot only switched tanks once during the flight. The location of blood splatters and a puncture mark on the fuel selector suggest the selector was positioned on the right tank when the accident occurred.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N15609
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7305096
- Airframe hours
- 2,480
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Northstar Aviation
- Registered owner
- Gene D. Pinto
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · January 2, 2000 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- MBY · Moberly, MO
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 23
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 625 total · 250 in this make and model · 500 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MKT, 1 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.