- Date
- August 3, 1995, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Monroe, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N76SRPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950803049419A
- Case key
- 19523
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 resulting in fuel starvation and the failure of the pilot to follow the published emergency procedures for propeller feathering. Factors were the fence and the trees.
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 descent to 3,000 feet MSL, the pilot switched the fuel tanks from the outboard to the inboard tanks; however, he 'did not confirm they were in the inboard position.' A total loss of power occurred on the right engine. The pilot did not 'feather the propeller' and elected to execute a forced landing to a golf course. The nose gear struck a fence and the left wing hit a tree.
Factual narrative
On August 3, 1995, at 1600 central daylight time, a Piper PA-23- 250, N76SR, collided with a fence during a forced landing near Monroe, Louisiana. The commercial pilot was not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was being operated by McMahan Aviation, Inc., of Monroe, Louisiana, under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The personal cross country flight was on an IFR flight plan with visual meteorological conditions prevailing throughout the area.
On the enclosed Pilot/Operator Report, the pilot reported that the flight was cleared to descend from 7,000 feet MSL to 3,000 feet MSL for an approach to Monroe, Louisiana. During the descent, the fuel tanks were "switched from outboard to inboard"; however, the pilot "did not confirm they were in the inboard position" and the "lever possibly was in the center position" which is "OFF." Upon reaching 3,000 feet MSL, the right engine "began to surge" and then "quit."
The pilot attempted to restart the engine; however, it would not restart, and the pilot stated that he elected not to feaather the propeller. A forced landing to a golf course was initiated. During the landing flare/touchdown, the nose gear struck a metal fence. The left wing struck a tree during the landing roll and the airplane came to rest on the golf course.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane and found the fuel selectors on the outboard tanks. The pilot stated that following the accident, he returned to the airplane and moved the fuel selectors to the outboard tanks. The outboard tanks did not contain fuel and the inboard tanks were full. Neither propeller was feathered and the left propeller exhibited torsional twisting. Structural damage occurred to the fuselage, nose gear, left main gear, and the left wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N76SR
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-7304976
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mcmahan Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 30, 1995 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- LIT · Little Rock, AR
- Destination
- MLU
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 15 in this make and model · 3,600 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLU, 10 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.