- Date
- September 28, 1990, 14:48 local (21:48 UTC)
- Place
- Bend, OR
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8646PPiper PA-24-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900928043279A
- Case key
- 41129
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
An engine power loss due to fuel starvation as a result of a broken seal in the fuel injector servo. In addition, the pilot misjudged his approach into an open field.
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 reported to ATC that he was experiencing severe engine trouble; with the engine running rough like it was starving for fuel. Wreckage was found in an open field; there was a tree 500 ft from the wreckage showing impact damage. A synthetic seal inside the fuel injector servo was found separated into two pieces which allowed fuel to migrate to the impact tubes.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8646P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4089
- Airframe hours
- 3,022
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-D4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard C. Hall
- Registered owner
- A & F Transportation Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 12, 1990 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- CCR · Concord, CA
- 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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 840 total · 624 in this make and model · 788 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RDM, 33 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.