- Date
- April 26, 1989, 17:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Eufaula, OK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8654NPiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890426010099A
- Case key
- 22860
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 improper positioning of the fuel selector, which resulted in a loss of power due to fuel starvation, and his failure to followed the emergency procedure. A factor related to the accident was: rough terrain in the emergency landing area.
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 plt rprtd the acft was fully svcd with fuel before he departed on a x-country flt fm arlington, TX, to bentonville, AR. While cruising at 8500' on the rtrn flt, the eng lost power. The plt rprtd that he turned the emergency fuel pump on & switched tanks, then turned the pump off; the eng did not restart, subsequently, an emergency landing mas made on rough terrain (about 3 mi fm the arpt) & the acft was damaged. The fuel selector was found positioned to the left main tank. The left wing was damaged during the landing & an estimated 35 gal of fuel drained from the left tanks. No fuel was found in the right tank(s). During a post acdnt check, the eng operated normally with only minor repair.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8654N
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7240004
- Airframe hours
- 3,801
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bauer, Kathleen
- Registered owner
- Kathleen, Bauer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 28, 1988 · 53 hours before
- Departed
- H00 · Bentonville, AR
- Destination
- F54 · Arlington, TX
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 850 total · 603 in this make and model · 722 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLC, 21 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.
Other investigations on N8654N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.