- Date
- September 2, 1988, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hamilton, MT
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9436PPiper PA-24-260C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880902036999A
- Case key
- 17537
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 private plt was descending to the destination arpt at the conclusion of a 3.5 hr x-country flight. The plt said he selected the right main fuel tank and flew until the 'fuel was low to the point of exhaustion.' During a right turn, with the gear extended, the engine lost power. All subsequent efforts to restore power failed. The plt attempted to glide to the airport, and retracted the landing gear, but was forced to land in a field short of the runway. The acft impacted wheels up, and skidded 60 yards prior to coming to rest. The plt felt that the electric fuel boost pump failed to provide fuel fast enough and contributed to the accident. A post accident inspection by an FAA inspector failed to reveal any pre-accident failure or malfunction. No fuel was found in the right main tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9436P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4944
- Airframe hours
- 1,295
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-R1A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ken A. France
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 28, 1988 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- CCR · Concord, CA
- Destination
- 6S5
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 493 total · 200 in this make and model · 450 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
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 N9436P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.