- Date
- August 1, 2012, 18:55 local (Aug 2, 2012, 01:55 UTC)
- Place
- McKinleyville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3442ZPiper PA-22-160
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120801017479A
- Case key
- 84555
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 pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s lack of experience in the accident airplane make and model and his lack of knowledge regarding the fuel system.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot said that he had just acquired the airplane and was flying his first cross-country flight in it. He was not monitoring the fuel quantity in the left and right fuel tanks, because he thought the fuel selector was positioned to both tanks. However, the fuel selector was positioned to the left tank for the entire trip. On short final at his destination, the airplane’s engine lost power due to fuel starvation. The pilot performed a forced landing, which bent and wrinkled the fuselage and wings. The pilot had a total flight time of about 150 hours of which only 5 hours were in the accident airplane make and model.
Factual narrative
The pilot said that he had just acquired the airplane and was flying his first cross-country flight in it. He was not monitoring the fuel quantity in the left and right fuel tanks, because he thought the fuel selector had a both selection only. However, the fuel selector was positioned to the left tank for the entire trip. On short final at his destination, the airplane’s engine lost power due to fuel starvation. The pilot performed a forced landing, which bent and wrinkled the fuselage and wings. The pilot had a total flight time of about 150 hours, of which only 5 hours were in the accident make and model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3442Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-7361
- Airframe hours
- 2,808
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aaron M. Andrus
- Registered owner
- Aaron M. Andrus
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 28, 2012
- Departed
- CIC · Chico, CA
- Destination
- ACV · Eureka, CA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 33
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 11, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 150 total · 5 in this make and model · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- ACV, 1 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 14, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 436 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3442Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.