- Date
- October 28, 1989, 16:57 local (Oct 29, 1989, 00:57 UTC)
- Place
- Palo Alto, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9292ZPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891028043689A
- Case key
- 26675
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 flight instructor improperly supervised the flight and the dual student pilot failed to properly set the fuel selector valve in the proper position. Both pilots failed to use the emergency checklist.
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
When entering the downwind leg the pvt plt dual student reportedly switched the fuel selector valve of the fullest tank. The engine continued to operate normally until the local controller instructed the flight to go around, when the engine sustained a total loss of power. The CFI assumed command of the airplane and executed an emergency landing. The airplane struck a dike and nosed-over into a slough. The CFI stated that he suspected that the fuel selector valve was not properly seated in the detent position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9292Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6971
- Airframe hours
- 3,013
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- West Valley Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Lyle D. Blaine
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 20, 1989 · 91 hours before
- Departed
- HAF · Half Moon Bay, CA
- Airport
- PAO · Palo Alto, runway 30, 2,500 × 65 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
- 25
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,480 total · 20 in this make and model · 1,400 as pilot in command · 210 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.