- Date
- November 10, 1988, 21:10 local (Nov 11, 1988, 03:10 UTC)
- Place
- Mena, AR
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9109JPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881110051929A
- Case key
- 34721
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
On left crosswind leg, during initial climb, the aircraft experienced a total loss of power. The acft had reached about 800 feet AGL and was about 1 1/2 miles from the departure end of the runway. An emergency ldg was attempted which resulted in substantial damage to the acft. Dark night VFR flight conditions existed at the time of the accident. Witnesses said they observed the acft pass under some power lines before contacting a fence. Post accident investigation, along with statements made by the plt, revealed the fuel selector to be on the wrong tank, causing fuel starvation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9109J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-3151
- Airframe hours
- 4,089
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jenkins, Mack
- Registered owner
- Jenkins, Mack
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 8, 1988 · 125 hours before
- Destination
- DEQ · Dequeen, AR
- Airport
- MEZ · Intermountain Regional, runway 35, 5,000 × 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
- 26
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 82 total · 13 in this make and model · 59 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °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.