- Date
- June 10, 1992, 12:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Denton, MD
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4552XPiper PA-32R-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920610019459A
- Case key
- 37163
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 failure of the pilot to detect the automobile gasoline in the tanks prior to departure, and intentional refueling with improper fuel by the pilot's brother which resulted in a lose of engine power due to detonation and loss of oil pressure.
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 experienced a power loss associated with a loss of engine oil pressure, and made an off airport landing in a wheat field. During ground rollout, the airplane struck a ditch not visible from the air and received substantial damage. Examination of the engine revealed three pistons had experienced the effects of detonation. When interviewed after the accident, the pilot initially told the safety board he was using 100LL av gas; however, he later acknowledged that his brother had fueled the airplane with automobile gasoline on the day of the accident. Additionally, he said he did not detect the automobile gasoline during the preflight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4552X
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7680027
- Airframe hours
- 3,536
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-KIA5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert Wozniak
- Registered owner
- Robert F/Rita J. Wozniak
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 13, 1992 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- N80 · Ocean City, MD
- Destination
- W48 · Baltimore, MD
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 511 total · 76 in this make and model · 456 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.