- Date
- October 1, 1997, 19:45 local (Oct 2, 1997, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Nebraska City, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1092XPiper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 4, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971001040849A
- Case key
- 10756
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 improper positioning of the fuel slector to a tank which contained only unusable fuel.
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 airplane had a total loss of engine power, and the pilot made a forced landing to a corn field. On inspection, the fuel selector was found positioned to the left tank which contained only unusable fuel. The right fuel tank was nearly full. When the selector was moved to the right tank the engine started and ran.
Factual narrative
On October 1, 1997, at 1945 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N1092X, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during an off-airport forced landing following a total loss of engine power. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight departed Iowa City, Iowa, at 1725 with the intended destination of Nebraska City, Nebraska.
The pilot stated that the engine lost power and he conducted a forced landing in a corn field. He made no statement as to the location of the fuel selector and did not indicate that he changed it from one tank to another prior to the loss of power.
On inspection of the airplane the fuel in the right fuel tank was close to the top of the filler. The left tank was found to have only unusable fuel. On initial inspection the fuel selector was found on the left tank position. The Federal Aviation Administration Maintenance Inspector who inspected the wreckage reported he opened the fuel gascolator drain which the fuel tank selector still on the left tank and no fuel came out. When the selector was positioned to the right tank fuel ran out of the gascolator drain. The inspector's statement is attached to this report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1092X
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7535230
- Airframe hours
- 5,608
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Iowa City Flying Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 19, 1997 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- IOW · Iowa City, IA
- Destination
- AKF · NE
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 317 total · 20 in this make and model · 3 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OFF, 37 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 N1092X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.