ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 296795
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| Date: | Saturday 10 August 2002 |
| Time: | 19:40 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32-260 |
| Owner/operator: | Comtox Corp. |
| Registration: | N222SH |
| MSN: | 32-266 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2470 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-540-E4B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Victor, Colorado -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Bullhead City-Laughlin Bullhead International Airport, AZ (IFP/KIFP) |
| Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, CO (COS/KCOS) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane was fueled to capacity (25 gallons each, left and right main tanks; 17 gallons each, left and right auxiliary tanks; total, 84 gallons) prior to departure. The airplane was airborne for 4 hours, 10 minutes, when it "began to feel heavy and mushy." Two passengers were repositioned, but the airplane "continued to feel heavy with loss of altitude and stall light flashing." The engine began to "miss," and "appeared not to have power." The pilot flew towards a low spot in a bowl, hoping to get to a lower elevation. He made a forced landing in an area "that looked flat and soft." Witnesses saw the airplane bounce three times and the left wing break off as it spun to a stop. Numerous empty beer cans (about two 12 packs) were found in the airplane. The pilot said his male passenger had consumed the beer. The fuel selector was found positioned on the right main tank. The salvage company said the right tanks appeared to be empty and there was "very little" fuel in the separated left wing tanks. They drained 2 gallons of fuel from the right main tank and about 3 gallons from the right auxiliary tank. No fuel was recovered from the separated left wing's tanks. The carburetor bowl was opened and found to be dry. In addition, no fuel was found in the line between the engine-driven fuel pump and the carburetor. The magnetos were tested and functioned normally. Both the engine-driven fuel pump and auxiliary boost pumps were dry but tested satisfactorily. The pilot's toxicological report was negative for ethanol, but positive for benzodiazepines. The pilot told the hospital physician that he was taking Paxil for treatment of depression. According to an FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) toxicologist, Paxil is a benzodiazepine and is contraindicated for flying.
Probable Cause: the pilot's failure to refuel, resulting in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing factors were the pilot's use of inappropriate medication, and the unsuitable terrain on which to make a forced landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB DEN02LA090
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Oct-2022 10:55 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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