- Date
- October 6, 2012, 17:38 local (21:38 UTC)
- Place
- Beltzville, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N44595Piper PA-28-140
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20121006022259A
- Case key
- 85271
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 flight instructor’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Findings · 2
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
The flight instructor completed a preflight inspection and noted that each wing fuel tank contained about 18 gallons of fuel before departing on the local instructional flight. At the conclusion of the flight, while returning to the departure airport, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The flight instructor stated that he maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing to a field while conducting the emergency landing checklist; however, he said that he did not change the fuel tank selector position. The airplane touched down in the field and impacted a row of trees, resulting in substantial damage to both wings. During postaccident examination, about 18 gallons of fuel was observed in the left wing tank, and about 8 ounces of fuel was drained from the right wing tank. A fuel line was plumbed to the engine, and the engine started and ran through all power settings with no anomalies observed.
Factual narrative
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) completed a preflight inspection, and noted that each wing fuel tank contained approximately 18 gallons of fuel before departing on the local instructional flight. At the conclusion of the flight, while returning to the departure airport, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The CFI stated that he maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing to a field while conducting the emergency landing checklist; however, he did not change the fuel tank selector position. The airplane touched down in the field and impacted a row of trees, resulting in substantial damage to both wings. Following the accident, approximately 18 gallons of fuel was observed in the left wing tank, and about 8 ounces of fuel were drained from the right wing tank. During postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, a fuel line was plumbed to the engine. The inspector then started and ran the engine through all power settings with no anomalies observed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44595
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7425430
- Airframe hours
- 11,627
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Yialamas Constantine G
- Registered owner
- Yialamas Constantine G
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 17, 2012
- Departed
- ABE · Allentown, PA
- Destination
- ABE · Allentown, PA
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 15, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 302 total · 30 in this make and model · 219 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- ABE, 16 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 26, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.