- Date
- May 20, 1991, 13:08 local (20:08 UTC)
- Place
- San Jose, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9135TPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910520016609A
- Case key
- 27213
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
Fuel starvation due to the flight instructor's improper use of the fuel selector valve and his failure to properly supervise the conduct of the flight.
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 takeoff at about 200' above ground level over the runway's departure end, the aircraft's engine suffered a total loss of power. The pilot performed necessary emergency procedures. He entered a power-off forced landing descent and made a right turn to the best available landing area. The aircraft landed hard, bounced, and collided with a hangar, separating the left wing from the fuselage. An FAA safety inspector examined the aircraft on-scene. He drained approximately 1/4 pint of fuel out of the intact right wing. The left had considerably more fuel and had lost fuel during impact. The aircraft's engine was removed from the aircraft for further examination. The engine started and ran at various power settings with no problem. The certified flight instructor and his student pilot in oral and written statements, did not indicate that the flight instructor changed the fuel selector from the right tank to the left tank during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9135T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 288616012
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Flying Country Club
- Airport
- RHV · Reid-Hillview, runway 31, 3,100 × 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
- 28
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 608 total · 45 in this make and model · 425 as pilot in command · 222 in the last 90 days · 85 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.