- Date
- October 25, 1992, 10:22 local (15:22 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Pierce, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N38800Piper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921025045369A
- Case key
- 33192
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
An engine failure over unsuitable terrain. The cause of the engine failure was fuel contamination by ferrous metal particles that prevented the fuel servo from operating properly. The origin of the contamination is unknown.
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 pilot reported an engine failure and executed a forced landing to a canal. Examination of the engine fuel servo revealed contamination by ferrous metal particles on the fuel and air side of the servo diaphragm preventing proper operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38800
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7840001
- Airframe hours
- 4,239
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Meredith, Larry
- Registered owner
- Meredith, Larry
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- MYER · Rock Sound, OF
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 3,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FPR, 1 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.
Other investigations on N38800 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.