- Date
- June 1, 1993, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Gordonsville, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9830WPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930601016119A
- Case key
- 37322
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
Was a power loss due to fuel contamination, after the pilot refueled from cans and did not filter the fuel according to recommendations.
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 engine lost power at about 150 to 200 feet AGL, and the pilot was unable to reach a suitable landing area. The airplane touched down in a field, bounced into the air, and flew into trees. Post accident investigation showed that fuel would not flow to the carburetor with the fuel turned on and the electric boost pump on. Contamination was found in the carburetor and fuel strainer. The pilot used auto gas which was placed into cans and then poured into the wing tanks without being run through a filter or strainer. According to the STC for auto gas, when refueling from cans, the fuel should be filtered or run through a chamois.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9830W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-23334
- Airframe hours
- 3,650
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles D. Bailey
- Registered owner
- Jeffrey Cotton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 18, 1993 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- GVE
- Destination
- W93 · Orange Co., VA
- Airport
- GVE · Gordonsville Muni, runway 22, 2,300 × 40 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 332 total · 100 in this make and model · 280 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.