- Date
- July 3, 2024, 09:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Harmony, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3043SCessna 140
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of engine power (total)
- 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
- 20240703008869A
- Case key
- 194611
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
A total loss of engine power as a result of the pilot's inadvertent placement of the fuel selector to the "off" position.
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 of the airplane reported that, while maneuvering about 300 ft above ground level, he chose to switch the fuel selector from one tank to the other, and inadvertently switched it to the off position. Subsequently, the engine lost total power. The pilot performed a forced landing onto rough terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3043S
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12709
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 3,871
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2024
- Departed
- KLAR · Laramie, WY
- Equipment
- 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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 25, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 725 total · 400 in this make and model · 587 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KLAR, 9 nm away
- METAR
- KLAR 031453Z AUTO 19005KT 10SM CLR 18/01 A3020 RMK AO2 SLP119 T01780006 50002
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 12, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.6 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.