- Date
- April 25, 1989, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chino, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6073WPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890425009889A
- Case key
- 26390
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 did not adequately preflight the airplane to determine fuel quanity nor did he accurately calculate the fuel consumption. In addition, he failed to position the fuel selector to the fullest tank which resulted in fuel starvation to the engine on final approach to the runway.
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 a local flight practicing touch and go landings, the engine lost power while on final approach. Upon landing, the aircraft collided with rough terrain damaging the nose gear, propeller, and fuselage. Inspection of the wreckage revealed that the left fuel tank contained five gallons of fuel. The right tank contained one gallon. The airplane had been operating off of the right tank prior to the loss of power. The pilot stated that fuel gauges and a visual check lead to conclusion that the acft had aprx 1 hour on each fuel tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6073W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-20086
- Airframe hours
- 2,901
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Farrano, Charles M.
- Registered owner
- Farano, Charles M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 14, 1988 · 29 hours before
- Airport
- CNO · Chino, runway 26, 3,856 × 150 ft, dirt
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 76 total · 71 in this make and model · 53 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft unknown
- Temperature
- 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CNO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.