- Date
- February 15, 1991, 18:45 local (Feb 16, 1991, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Guymon, OK
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3549WPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910215002649A
- Case key
- 18073
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
Fuel starvation for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's delay in flaring the airplane. A factor was: the pilot's total lack of experience.
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 55 hour student pilot preflighted the airplane and noted fuel in both tanks, the right tank containing '15 to 16 gallons.' He took off to practice downwind leg, the engine 'coughed' and lost power. The pilot said he switched the fuel selector from the right tank to the left tank. The engine regained power momentarily, then quit again. The pilot did not recall the impact, but witnesses said the airplane nosed into the ground. Postaccident examination disclosed 'a measurable amount of fuel' in both tanks, but no fuel in the carburetor bowl or fuel pump.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3549W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-436
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Joseph M. Ramirez
- Registered owner
- Joseph M. Ramirez
- Airport
- GUY · Guymon Municipal, runway 18, 4,299 × 100 ft, macadam
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 55 total · 55 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.