- Date
- April 16, 2004, 17:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Kennedy, NY
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N569ZAndrews Zenith Tri-Z
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040416035569A
- Case key
- 59080
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The pilot's improper fuel tank selector position which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
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 performed a touch and go, and as he made a right turn in the traffic pattern, he observed fuel venting from the right wing of the airplane. He then switched the fuel tank selector position from the left tank to the right tank, to burn off fuel from that tank. He flew the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, and as he turned onto the base leg, the engine lost power. The pilot then set up for a forced landing, during which the airplane impacted trees. The pilot stated that when he switched the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank position, he did not secure the selector into the right tank detent, effectively turning the fuel "off." He reported the accident could be attributed to "pilot error."
Factual narrative
On April 16, 2004, about 1745 eastern daylight time, N569Z, an experimental Zenith Tri-Z airplane, was substantially damaged during landing at a private airfield in Kennedy, New York. The certificated private pilot received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight which originated at the Brokenstraw Airport (P15), Pittsfield, Pennsylvania. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he performed a touch and go at his private airfield, and as he made a right turn in the traffic pattern, he observed fuel venting from the right wing of the airplane. He then switched the fuel tank selector position from the left tank to the right tank, to burn off fuel from that tank. He flew the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, and as he turned onto the base leg, the engine lost power. The pilot was able to restart the engine; however, it lost power again shortly after the restart. The pilot then set up for a forced landing, during which the airplane impacted trees.
The pilot stated that when he switched the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank position, he did not secure the selector into the right tank detent, effectively turning the fuel "off." He reported the accident could be attributed to "pilot error."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N569Z
- Reported as
- Andrews Zenith Tri-Z
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 569
- Airframe hours
- 359
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jeffrey Paden
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 6, 2003 · 59 hours before
- Departed
- P15 · Pittsfield, PA
- Destination
- NONE · Kennedy, NY
- Airport
- NONE · Kennedy Airfield, runway 27, 2,500 × 200 ft, grass/turf
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
- 37
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- August 23, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 212 total · 170 in this make and model · 180 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- JHW, 7 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.