- Date
- July 1, 1995, 07:33 local (13:33 UTC)
- Place
- Farmington, NM
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4823TPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 24, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950701016079A
- Case key
- 19480
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 verify the fuel tank selector position and the resultant fuel starvation induced power loss.
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 aircraft preflight inspection, the pilot verified the main fuel tanks were full but did not check the auxiliary tanks. While performing the pre-takeoff check, the pilot 'glanced at' the fuel selector and 'thought it was on the left main' fuel tank. Shortly after takeoff and at an altitude of 150 feet, the engine lost power. The airplane landed 'very hard' on the takeoff runway, 800 feet from the departure end. Postaccident inspection disclosed the right auxiliary fuel tank had about 2 inches of fuel at the bottom of the tank. The left auxiliary fuel tank was dry as it would not register on a dipstick.
Factual narrative
On July 1, 1995, at 0733 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-32- 260, N4823T, was substantially damaged during a forced landing at Farmington, New Mexico. The private pilot and his four passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The following is based on the pilot/operator report. Prior to departing Page, Arizona, on June 30, the pilot checked the two auxiliary fuel tanks and estimated each contained 5 gallons. He flew to Farmington, New Mexico, where he requested that the main tanks be filled to capacity. Prior to his departure from Farmington on July 1, the pilot checked the main fuel tanks and verified they were full. He did not check the auxiliary fuel tanks. While performing the pre-takeoff check, the pilot "glanced at" the fuel selector and "thought it was on the left main" fuel tank. Shortly after takeoff from Farmington and at an altitude of 150 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot switched the fuel selector "to the next tank to the right," then made a "very hard" landing on the 800 feet of runway remaining.
According to the Piper PA-32 Owner's Handbook, fuel tank selector positions (from left to right) are as follows: LEFT AUX - LEFT MAIN - RIGHT MAIN - RIGHT AUX. An OFF position is also provided.
According to the statement submitted by the Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane, the pilot stated "he might have made his takeoff" with the fuel selector in the left auxiliary fuel tank position. The pilot asked the inspector "how long it would take for fuel to reach the engine if it had exhausted the fuel supply from a fuel tank." The inspector said the right auxiliary fuel tank had about 2 inches of fuel at the bottom of the tank. The left auxiliary fuel tank "was completely dry as it would not measure on the dipstick."
In the pilot/operator report the pilot wrote, "In the future, I will always check all of the tanks on the airplane and not assume that the auxiliary tanks are unimportant."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4823T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7200025
- Airframe hours
- 2,669
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kenneth J. Crane
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1994 · 96 hours before
- Departed
- FMN
- Destination
- 17K · Boise City, OK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- FMN · Four Corners Regional, runway 5, 6,501 × 150 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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 396 total · 246 in this make and model · 361 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FMN
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 N4823T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.