SEA97FA106

The pilot flew to a local airport for lunch with the passenger. The airplane was full of fuel, and no problems had previously been reported with it. After lunch, the airplane returned to the departure airstrip. During approach, about 1/2-mile from the runway, the engine began to run rough as the airplane was about 200 feet above wooded terrain. The pilot reversed course and attempted a landing in an open field. The airplane struck trees and terrain as the engine began to regain power. The wreckage was subjected to a post-crash fire. Examination of the engine/airframe did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction. Defoliated trees near the impact site of the left wing indicated the left fuel tank had a significant quantity of fuel at the time of impact. The lack of fuel, fire damage and hydraulic deformation of the right wing, which was found near an area of intense fire, indicated that the right fuel tank was almost empty. The fuel selector valve was found in the RIGHT or OFF position, and it does not have a BOTH selection. The airplane would have consumed more than the max usable capacity of either wing if used exclusively.

History of flight

On May 10, 1997, about 1440 Pacific daylight time, N55676, a Piper PA-28R-200, operated by the owner/pilot, collided with trees and was destroyed during a forced landing. The forced landing was precipitated by a reported loss of engine power while on final approach to a private airstrip in Tigard, Oregon. The private pilot and his passenger were killed. There was a postcrash fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91.

The accident flight originated from the Tigard airstrip earlier in the day. The grass airstrip is known as the Meyer Riverside Airpark, and was owned by the accident pilot. It is surrounded by homes and trees. According to numerous witnesses (witness interview synopses attached), the accident pilot, age 75, decided to take the 16-year-old passenger on a local flight and have lunch at a nearby airport restaurant. None of the witnesses knew exactly which airport was the destination; however, they stated that the pilot routinely flew to the Oregon airports in Independence, Salem, and Mulino, for lunch.

According to witness statements and fuel logs, the airplane was "topped off" with fuel before the accident flight at the Meyer Riverside Airpark. One witness observed the accident pilot perform a "run-up" of the accident airplane in preparation for takeoff about 1130 on the morning of the accident. The witness stated that he did not notice anything unusual with the run-up at the time.

In an attempt to ascertain the destination of the flight after takeoff, the Safety Board requested and received recorded radar data from the Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) for the time period of 1130 until 1150 on the day of the accident, and at the location of the Meyer Riverside Airpark Airport. No recorded radar tracks were found to indicate that an airplane had departed the airstrip; however, according to the personnel at the ARTCC, radar coverage does not extend below an altitude of about 2,000 feet above ground level (agl) at that location. The Safety Board also requested and received recorded radar data for the time period beginning 1413 and ending 1443 in an attempt to find any radar tracks of incoming traffic to the Meyer Riverside Airpark; no recorded radar tracks were found.

According to records and recorded voice communications at the Air Traffic Control Tower at McNary Field in Salem, Oregon, the accident airplane did not land there. According to the manager of Annie's Restaurant at the uncontrolled Independence State Airport, in Independence, Oregon, none of the restaurant staff remembered seeing the pilot and passenger dine there for lunch on the day of the accident, and there were also no fuel or food receipts with the pilot's name or tail number found.

The Safety Board subsequently contacted the Portland-Mulino Airport Cafe and spoke to a waitress who was working by herself at the cafe on the day of the accident. The waitress stated that she remembered an "older gentleman and a younger boy" having lunch at the cafe. She remembered that the two were sitting "at the third table" and were discussing flying. She also stated that they left the cafe after paying cash for their lunch, and that they did not stay an unusually long or unusually short period of time.

According to witnesses at the Meyer Riverside Airpark, the accident airplane was later observed to enter the standard left-hand traffic pattern for Runway 34 about 1430 while flying about 800 feet above the ground. Other witnesses observed the landing gear extended as the airplane was approaching the airstrip from the south about 1/2-mile from the runway while flying about 200 feet above the ground. Some of the witnesses heard the engine "sputter" and "cough," then "rev up" just before the sound of the impact with trees.

One of the witnesses stated that he was working outside in a wrecking yard, located "on Route 99 between Sherwood and Tigard," south of the airstrip, when he heard an airplane "chugging out... then it just quit chugging... like it was starving for fuel." He looked up and noticed the airplane flying toward the northwest. He remembered that the wings were level, and that the airplane "...wasn't too high up..." but "...wasn't down in the trees." He stated that he observed this "...right after lunch" on the day of the accident, and he saw smoke rise up from where the crash site was later found.

Another witness, a commuter airline pilot, stated that he was outside of his home near the airstrip and had just finished mowing his lawn when he heard a "sputter for about 4 or 5 seconds." Then, he heard it "rev up" for about 2 seconds, followed by silence for about 5 seconds, and finally the sound of an impact. He immediately called local authorities and proceeded to the accident site. No radio distress calls were recorded or reported by any Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control facility, or by persons monitoring the common traffic advisory frequency at the Meyer Riverside Airpark.

The airplane came to rest at the edge of an open field and was destroyed by a ground fire. The accident occurred during daylight conditions near the following coordinates: North 45 degrees, 23.99 minutes; West 122 degrees, 49.75 minutes. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The accident airplane, a Piper PA-28R-200 "Arrow," was manufactured in 1973. It had been owned and operated by the accident pilot since 1988 and was registered under the name of Riverside Executives, Inc. The airplane was powered by a single Lycoming 200-horsepower model IO-360-C1C fuel-injected engine. It also had retractable flaps, a controllable propeller, and retractable landing gear.

An acquaintance said he flew with the accident pilot four days before the accident and he stated that he did not think the airplane had been flown again until the accident. He stated that there were "no problems with the airplane" during his flight, when they had flown to Aurora, Oregon, to "look at a car." After the flight, the airplane was taxied to the fuel pump at the Meyer airstrip. He said that both tanks were "topped off" with a total of 23.5 gallons of 100 low lead fuel.

Maintenance logbooks were not recovered despite repeated attempts by the Safety Board and the pilot's family to locate them. According to the pilot's grandson, who lived at the airstrip and was employed as a commuter pilot, the airplane underwent an annual inspection in June 1996, and he was unaware of any unresolved discrepancies.

The fuel system of the Piper PA-28R-200 incorporates two wing fuel tanks, each with a total capacity of 25 gallons in each tank. One gallon in each tank is considered unusable, giving a total of 24 gallons of usable fuel in each tank. The tanks are attached to the leading edge of the wing with screws and are an integral part of the wing structure. An auxiliary electric fuel pump is provided in case of a failure of the engine-driven fuel pump. A rocker type switch for controlling the electric pump is located on the cockpit switch panel above the throttle quadrant. According to the Piper PA-28R-200 Pilot Operating Manual, the electric pump should be ON during takeoff, switching of fuel tanks, and for landing.

The fuel tank selector is located on the left side wall below the pilot's instrument panel. It has three positions: OFF, LEFT TANK, and RIGHT TANK. There is no position that allows fuel to flow from both tanks simultaneously. The arrow on the handle of the selector points to the tank supplying fuel to the engine. The valve also incorporates a safety latch that prevents inadvertently selecting the "OFF" position. Fuel quantity for each tank and fuel pressure are indicated on gauges located in the instrument cluster to the left of the switch panel.

Personnel information

The pilot, age 75, held an FAA Private Pilot C