- Date
- June 29, 2004, 20:20 local (Jun 30, 2004, 00:20 UTC)
- Place
- Lawrenceburg, KY
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2364APiper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 28, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20040629017439A
- Case key
- 59536
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 decision to perform a negative g maneuver, 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
After the airplane was leveled at 2,500 feet, the pilot demonstrated to the passenger, the effects of G forces by "floating" a notepad. During the demonstration, the engine lost total power. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine, and performed a forced landing to a field, where the fuselage and wings of the airplane were substantially damaged. The engine was successfully test ran after the accident, with no abnormalities noted. According to the airplane's Information Manual, "The shape of the wing fuel tanks is such that in certain maneuvers the fuel may move away from the tank outlet. If the outlet is uncovered, the fuel flow will be interrupted and a temporary loss of power may result. Pilots can prevent inadvertent uncovering of the outlet by avoiding maneuvers which could result in uncovering the outlet."
Factual narrative
On June 29, 2004, at 2020 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-38-112, N2364A, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after experiencing a loss of engine power near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The certificated private pilot was not injured, and a passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, the flight departed from the Capitol City Airport, Frankfort, Kentucky, with about 20 gallons of fuel. After the airplane was leveled at 2,500 feet, the pilot demonstrated to the passenger, the effects of G forces. After the demonstration, the pilot reduced power, and a few moments later, the engine lost total power. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine, and performed a forced landing to a field, where the fuselage and wings of the airplane were substantially damaged.
According to the passenger, he informed the pilot that "he didn't want him to do anything that would scare him" during the flight. The pilot then placed a notepad between them, and performed a maneuver that made the notebook float into the air. The engine subsequently quit thereafter.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector test ran the engine after the accident. The engine operated with no abnormalities noted.
According to the PA-38-112 Information Manual, "The shape of the wing fuel tanks is such that in certain maneuvers the fuel may move away from the tank outlet. If the outlet is uncovered, the fuel flow will be interrupted and a temporary loss of power may result. Pilots can prevent inadvertent uncovering of the outlet by avoiding maneuvers which could result in uncovering the outlet."
The PA-38-112 had a maximum capacity of 30 gallons of usable fuel. The airplane did not have a negative load factor, and inverted maneuvers were not approved.
The pilot had accumulated 214 hours of total flight experience, with 3.5 hours in make and model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2364A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-78A0656
- Airframe hours
- 3,977
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 118 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Russell E. Bingham
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 16, 2003 · 54 hours before
- Departed
- FFT · Frankfort, KY
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- November 8, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 214 total · 3 in this make and model · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- LEX, 90 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.