- Date
- June 6, 2021, 17:01 local (21:01 UTC)
- Place
- Robbinsville, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N79RGPiper PA-24-260
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210606006739A
- Case key
- 103223
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 mismanagement of fuel, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
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
The student pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, the engine began to sputter. He performed a 180° turn back to the runway, bounced due to excessive speed and attempted a go-around, during which the engine briefly regained power before all power was lost. During a forced landing to a road adjacent to the airport, the left wing impacted powerlines, resulting in substantial damage to the wing. A post-accident examination revealed that the auxiliary fuel tanks were full, both main fuel tanks were empty and the fuel selector was positioned at the “Right Main” position. In an interview with a Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector, the student pilot/owner said that there were no mechanical deficiencies with his airplane and that he had only operated the airplane with the fuel selector on ‘Left’ or ‘Right’ Main fuel tank. Additionally, he had not received the required endorsements for solo operation of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N79RG
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4399
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 5,634
- Engine
- Lycoming IO540-D4A5, 260 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Feensrta Gregory W
- Registered owner
- Feensrta Gregory W
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 16, 2020
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- N87 · Trenton-Robbinsville Airport, runway 29, 4,275 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 47
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 75.8 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TTN, 11 nm away
- METAR
- KTTN 062053Z 19011KT 10SM FEW075 32/18 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP151 T03220178 56011
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 28, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.1 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.