ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 385684
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| Date: | Friday 29 June 2001 |
| Time: | 13:50 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-18-150 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N6881B |
| MSN: | 18-5068 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-320 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Palmer, AK -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Palmer Municipal Airport, AK (PAQ/PAAQ) |
| Palmer Municipal Airport, AK (PAQ/PAAQ) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The certificated private pilot, with one passenger aboard, was departing from a 800-feet long airstrip. A witness to the accident reported that just after takeoff the accident airplane's engine began to run rough and lose power. The witness said that it appeared that the pilot was trying to turn the airplane around in an attempt to return to the airstrip, and subsequently struck the surface of an open field next to the airstrip. An FAA airworthiness inspector from the local FSDO, traveled to the accident scene and examined the airplane. He reported that the airplane came to rest upright with the left wing still attached to the fuselage, but the right wing was torn from the airplane during the impact. Both wing fuel tanks remained intact and were not breached, and the fuel selector valve was selected to the right fuel tank. The right fuel tank was empty, but the left tank was approximately 2/3 full. The FAA inspector interviewed a neighbor that lives close to the accident airstrip who responded to the accident site, just after the accident. The neighbor stated that in the process of assisting rescue personnel, he moved the right wing away from the fuselage. In the process of moving the severed wing, he noted that the right wing fuel tank was empty, with no visible signs of postaccident spillage. While at the accident site an Alaska State Trooper removed the right wing fuel cap, and verified that the right wing fuel tank was empty.
Probable Cause: Fuel starvation due to the pilot's selection of an empty fuel tank during takeoff.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ANC01LA078
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Apr-2024 06:50 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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