- Date
- May 20, 2023, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- American Falls, ID
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N77JCessna 140
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230520007499A
- Case key
- 192211
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 inadvertent selection of the off position of the fuel tank selector inflight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Findings · 3
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
According to the pilot the engine lost all power immediately after switching fuel tanks during initial climb. The pilot performed a forced landing in a field, which resulted in the airplane nosing over and substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot told investigators that she may have inadvertently moved the fuel selector to the OFF position and that she observed the fuel selector in the OFF position following the accident. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77J
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11489
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KU01 · American Falls, ID
- Destination
- KLWL · Wells, NV
- Airport
- U01
- Equipment
- 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
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 408 total · 175 in this make and model · 283 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- KPIH, 13 nm away
- METAR
- KPIH 201853Z 29005KT 10SM CLR 26/08 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP192 T02610078
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 13, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 MB 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 N77J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.