- Date
- February 28, 2001, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lincoln, RI
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2542APiper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 4, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20010228027659A
- Case key
- 51837
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 loose fuel line, which resulted in fuel starvation to the engine.
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
As the airplane was climbing from the runway, the engine began to "sputter," and then quit. The CFI turned the airplane towards the airport in an attempt to return to the runway. Realizing that the airplane would not make the runway, the CFI stalled the airplane into the treetops, where it came to rest suspended by tree limbs. Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed an air leak at the fuel line connection on the electric fuel pump.
Factual narrative
On February 28, 2001, about 1830 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-38-112, N2542A, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after takeoff from the North Central Airport, Lincoln, Rhode Island. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) received minor injuries and the student pilot was not injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the CFI, the airplane had departed from Runway 34. As the airplane was climbing through 75 feet above the ground, the engine began to "sputter." Climbing through 100 feet, the engine suddenly quit. The CFI turned the airplane towards the airport in an attempt to make it back to the runway. Realizing that the airplane would not make the runway, the CFI stalled the airplane into the treetops, where it came to rest, suspended by the tree limbs about 20 feet above the ground.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector after it was recovered from the trees, revealed absence of fuel in the mechanical fuel pump, gascolator, and carburetor.
Examination of the wreckage by a Rhode Island Airport Corporation inspector revealed that the mixture control was in the "full rich" position, the fuel selector was positioned to the right fuel tank, and the fuel boost pump switch was "on." Fuel was observed in the fuel line located between the gascolator and electric fuel pump. When the engine primer was "pumped," fuel was observed draining from a primer injector located at an engine cylinder.
When maintenance personnel examined the electric fuel pump, no fuel was present in the pump housing. When electrical power was applied to the pump, an air leak was observed at the fuel line connection on the "suction side" of the pump. After the fuel line was secured back on to the pump, the starter was engaged, and the engine was started. The engine ran for "a few minutes," and a magneto check was performed. No abnormalities with the ignition system were noted, and with all engine instruments indicating normal operation, the engine was shut down.
The airplane's last 100-hour inspection was completed on February 24, 2001. The airplane had accumulated about 8 hours in service since the inspection.
Attempts to obtain the aircraft maintenance logbooks from either the operator or the recovery company, by Safety Board personnel, were unsuccessful.
According to the Piper PA-38-112 Maintenance Manual periodic inspections section, a mechanic was to perform an inspection of all the flexible fuel lines, inspect the fuel system for leaks, and clean the screen and check the operation of the electric fuel pump.
The airplane was last fueled on the day of the accident, at 1830, with 8.7 gallons of "AVGAS."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2542A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 78A075
- Airframe hours
- 3,329
- Engine
- Lycoming O-230-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lincoln Flight Center Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 24, 2001 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- SFZ · Lincoln, RI
- Destination
- HYA · Hyannis, MA
- Airport
- SFZ · North Central Airport, runway 34, 3,200 × 100 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- January 17, 2001
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 642 total · 36 in this make and model · 577 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Student, Flight engineer
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 60 total · 12 in this make and model · 15 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 290° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 23 °F, dew point 1 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- SFZ, 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.