ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 38114
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| Date: | Thursday 13 June 1996 |
| Time: | 11:29 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-24-250 |
| Owner/operator: | Robert J. Hull |
| Registration: | N7280P |
| MSN: | 24-2456 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1961 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5690 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-540-D1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Big Bear City, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | (L35) |
| Blythe, CA (KBLH) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During the initial climb after takeoff, the aircraft's engine abruptly and completely lost power when the aircraft was about 200 feet above ground level. Witnesses reported that the aircraft continued ahead until its nose pitched up once or twice. The left wing then dropped, and the aircraft fell into the shallow water of a lake. The fuel selector was found positioned to the left auxiliary tank. In an interview, the pilot acknowledged that he had not checked the selector position before takeoff as required by the aircraft checklist, and he had inadvertently departed with the fuel selector positioned to the empty auxiliary tank.
Probable Cause: improper preflight by the pilot, by failing to ensure that the fuel selector was positioned to an approved fuel tank with adequate fuel before takeoff; his failure to reposition the fuel selector (per emergency procedures) after the loss of engine power; and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and collision with the terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX96FA229
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 09-Apr-2024 06:26 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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