- Date
- May 30, 2008, 10:50 local (16:50 UTC)
- Place
- Amistad, NM
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9122WPiper PA-28-235
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- ABQ FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080530837119A
- Case key
- 68166
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 while in cruise flight. Contributing to the accident were incorrect maintenance, the fuel selector movement was impeded and a plowed field.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
While in cruise flight the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot attempted an engine restart, but could not restore engine power. The pilot then elected to perform a forced landing to a plowed field. Upon touchdown, the gear contacted ruts in the ground resulting in a collapse of the landing gear. An examination of the airplane revealed that the housing encasing the fuel selector had been recently replaced with an incorrect housing which impeded movement of the fuel selector to all fuel tanks. The pilot reported that post-maintenance test flights did not detect the incorrect installation.
Factual narrative
While in cruise flight the private pilot experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot attempted an engine restart, but could not restore engine power. The pilot then elected to perform a forced landing to a plowed field. Upon touchdown, the gear contacted ruts in the ground resulting in a collapse of the landing gear. An examination of the airplane revealed that the housing encasing the fuel selector had been recently replaced with an incorrect housing which impeded movement of the fuel selector to all fuel tanks. The pilot reported that post-maintenance test flights did not detect the incorrect installation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9122W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-10738
- Airframe hours
- 5,310.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gibbs Michael J
- Registered owner
- Co-owned
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2008
- Departed
- LRU · Las Cruces, NM
- Destination
- DHT · Dalhart, TX
- Airport
- NM29 · Rosebud
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,233 total · 590 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 9 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- TCC, 46 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.