- Date
- May 16, 1996, 10:09 local (14:09 UTC)
- Place
- Tallahassee, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9239BPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960516010729A
- Case key
- 38019
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 pilot's mismanagement of fuel, by failing to reposition the fuel selector to the left tank after fuel was used from the right tank, which resulted in fuel starvation, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. A factor relating to the accident was: the lack of suitable terrain for an emergency 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
After about 2 hours of flight time, the pilot was descending from about 1500' to about 1200' to remain in VFR conditions, when the engine lost power. Attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful, and he was forced to land in a wooded area, where the airplane was damaged. The pilot reported that he had positioned the fuel selector to the right tank before flight and had not repositioned it until the loss of power occurred. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing fuel tank was nearly full and that the right wing fuel tank contained less than 6 ounces of fuel. Also, the fuel line to the carburetor was dry, and the gascolator was drained and found to contain only 10 cc's of fuel. No fuel leakage was noted from the right wing fuel tank.
Factual narrative
On May 16, 1996, about 1009 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N9239B, registered to and operated by Flight Safety International, Inc., was substantially damaged during a forced landing about 22 nautical miles east-southeast of the Tallahassee Regional Airport, Tallahassee, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed and activated for the 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. The private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated at 0805 from the Vero Beach Municipal Airport, Vero Beach, Florida.
The pilot stated that while descending from 1,500 to 1,200 feet mean sea level to maintain VFR conditions, the engine experienced total loss of power. He executed the emergency procedures checklist but engine power was not restored. He executed a forced landing in a wooded area and the airplane came to rest upright resting against small trees. He further stated that the fuel selector was positioned to the "right" position from engine start to the time of the loss of power.
Examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing fuel tank was nearly full and the right wing fuel tank was found to contain less than 6 ounces of fuel. No signs of fuel leakage was noted from the right wing fuel tank. Additionally, the fuel line to the carburetor was found to be dry and the gascolator was drained and found to contain only 10 cc's of fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9239B
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2841232
- Airframe hours
- 4,141
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Flight Safety International
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · May 15, 1996 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- VRB · Vero Beach, FL
- Destination
- TLH · FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- TLH · Tallahassee Regional
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
- 21
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 100 total · 100 in this make and model · 44 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TLH, 22 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.