- Date
- December 9, 1991, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N55839Piper PA-28-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911209055369A
- Case key
- 18421
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 failure to correctly calculate fuel consumption and the loss of engine power. A factor was the unsuitable terrain.
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
During the initial climb, 50 - 75 feet AGL, of a night takeoff the airplane experienced a complete loss of engine power and was forced to land in unsuitable terrain. The pilot had failed to calculate his fuel usage, resulting in fuel starvation. After landing the airplanes fuel tank selection lever was placed to a tank with fuel. Following the selection change the engine was started without problems and a functional check of the engine revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55839
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-73I033
- Airframe hours
- 1,250
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William J. Jennings
- Registered owner
- William J. Jennings
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 9, 1991 · 2 hours before
- Airport
- IWS · West Houston, runway 33, 4,000 × 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 186 total · 108 in this make and model · 135 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 350° at 1 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HOU, 20 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.