- Date
- November 12, 1989, 08:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hillsboro, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8470WPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891112045009A
- Case key
- 41145
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
Fuel contamination and the pilots lack of peflight inspection. Contributing to the accident was the soft terrain.
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 that two days before the accident, he had fueled the airplane from and unfiltered barrel. On the day of the accident, the pilot had intended to just reposition the airplane from the ramp to a hangar because of rain showers the day before. After the pilot started the engine, without performing a preflight, decided to fly the airplane around the pattern to dry it off. A normal run-up was performed and the left fuel tank was selected. After takeoff at apprx 300 ft AGL, the engine quit. A restart was attempted with no success. The airplane was forced landed in a soft field. After the accident, the pilot who is an A&P mechanic drained the left fuel tank and inspected the gascolator. Both were found to contain water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8470W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-2711
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert C. Stark
- Departed
- 7S3 · Hillsboro, OR
- Airport
- 7S3 · Starks Twin Oaks
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
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 3,700 total · 325 in this make and model · 19 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.