- Date
- May 31, 2024, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Nephi, UT
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7838WPiper PA-28-180
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (partial)
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20240531006169A
- Case key
- 194396
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 incorrect movement of the fuel selector valve to an off or restricted position, which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power.
Findings · 2
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 reported that during cruise flight, about 900 to 1,000 ft above ground level, he switched fuel tanks, and shortly after, the engine began to sputter and lose power. He attempted to troubleshoot by advancing the mixture and throttle levers, however, was unable to restore engine power and initiated a forced landing to a field. During the landing roll, the nose wheel dug into soft terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the engine mount and right wing. The pilot stated that he may have placed the fuel selector valve to an intermediate position and not within the fuel selector detents, which likely starved the engine for fuel. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7838W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-1855
- Built
- 1964
- Airframe hours
- 5,967
- Engine
- Lycoming )-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 20, 2024 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- PVU · Provo, UT
- Destination
- PVU · Provo, UT
- Airport
- U14 · Nephi Municipal
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B
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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 14, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,306 total · 29 in this make and model · 439 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 19, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.8 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 N7838W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.