- Date
- December 7, 1988, 14:25 local (19:25 UTC)
- Place
- Laconia, NH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N16502Piper PA-34-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881207053089A
- Case key
- 36346
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
Aircraft striking the road sign after the aircraft experienced a double power loss due to mismanagement of the fuel system by the pilot.
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 plt made a takeoff with known conditions of a low battery and with 15 gallons of fuel in the left tank and 30 gallons in the right tank. While cruising at 7500 feet he experienced a power loss on the left engine. The pilot performed the emergency procedures and was unable to get a restart. He feathered the propeller and set up crossfeed. The right engine quit a few seconds later and again the pilot was unable to get it restarted and it T00 was feathered. Both fuel selectors at this time were on crossfeed. They were reset to tank-to-engine and the pilot tried to restart the right engine but was unable due to the low battery. An off airport landing was made on a roadway. Post crash examination showed fuel in the right tank and no fuel in the left tank. The pilot had failed his multi engine checkride 2-1/2 months prior to the accident and did not pass his checkride until 2 months after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16502
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-7350135
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1E6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Herbert Hauser
- Registered owner
- Herbert L Hauser
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MPV · Montpelier, VT
- Destination
- MHT · Manchester, NH
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,150 total · 46 in this make and model · 1,120 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LCI, 3 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.
Other investigations on N16502 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.