- Date
- February 14, 1990, 17:12 local (22:12 UTC)
- Place
- Roseland, FL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8432PPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900214002209A
- Case key
- 32547
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 engine failure due to fuel starvation caused by a needle valve in the carburetor which allows fuel to enter the carburetor bowl, stuck in the closed position for undetermined reasons resulting in the forced landing.
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
While descending through 5,500 from 8,500 ft, plt reported that the eng lost power. He leveled off at the alt & attempted to correct this but was unable. He elected to continue toward the dest but after being advised by miami center that the flt would not make it, elected to divert to an alternate arpt that was closer. The flt was unable to land there. Plt elected to land on a rd short of the arpt & during the landing roll, the acft collided with trees, a fence & came to rest with the rt wing separated. An alternate fuel supply was connected for the eng run. After it started it would only run if the throttle were pumped. While it was running, a mechanic tapped the carburetor bowl area. The eng then operated normally. Carburetor was removed for further exam. Exam of it revealed the molded cellular float absorbed fuel which allowed excess fuel into the carburetor bowl. The needle valve was exam. No determination could be made as to why it stuck in the closed position as indicated during the eng run.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8432P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8116310
- Airframe hours
- 4,090
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pro Flite Of Vero, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Pro Flite Vero, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 26, 1990 · 65 hours before
- Departed
- SAV · Savannah, GA
- Destination
- VRB · Vero Beach, FL
- Airport
- X26 · Sebastion Munci.
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
- 22
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 176 total · 176 in this make and model · 80 as pilot in command · 71 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VRB, 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.