- Date
- October 20, 1988, 20:30 local (Oct 21, 1988, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tupelo, MS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6877YPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 8, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881020049519A
- Case key
- 32346
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
The operator had applied for an on-demand/air taxi cert, but had not obtained approval. After lvl-off on a flt to carry canceled checks, the plt elected to use the remaining fuel fm the inbd tanks. He stated that soon thereafter, the left eng bgn running rough, so he selected the otbd main 'on the left side with the boost pump on and nothing happened.' Hesaid he then psnd the l fuel selector to the inbd tank & normal eng opn returned, momentarily. An identical scenario occurred on the rgt side. After a dual pwr loss, the plt tried to rtrn back to the dep arpt, but was unable. He lndd in a field, but the acft hit trees before stopping. An exam of the acft revealed the inbd tanks were empty, but the otbd tanks were full of fuel. The psn of the fuel selectors (when the engs lost power) was not determined. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was fnd. The fuel selector panel was on the floor btn the plt & coplt seats. Due to re-upholster-ing of the seats, the plt could not see the panel unless he pulled the seat cushions apart.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6877Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-4224
- Airframe hours
- 3,293
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Bannerman, Bemp
- Registered owner
- D. Bannerman & Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1988 · 71 hours before
- Departed
- TUP · Tupelo, MS
- Destination
- MEM · Memphis, TN
- 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
- 32
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 200 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 90° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 600 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TUP, 5 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.