ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 280683
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| Date: | Friday 22 July 2022 |
| Time: | 19:11 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32-301 Saratoga |
| Owner/operator: | Green Valley Corporation I |
| Registration: | N300BH |
| MSN: | 32-8006011 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1980 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (RHV), San Jose, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | San Jose-Reid-Hillview Airport, CA (RHV/KRHV) |
| San Jose-Norman Y. Mineta International Airport (SJC/KSJC) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On July 22, 2022, about 1911 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-32-301 airplane, N300BH, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near San Jose, California. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 business flight.
The pilot had planned to fly the airplane on a short flight back to the owner’s hangar following an annual inspection. According to the pilot, the engine lost all power during climbout from the departure airport. The airplane impacted the ground, struck a fence and came to rest upright.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies of the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane contained 15 gallons of fuel in each wing fuel tank before the annual inspection began. The maintenance facility ran the engine at maximum power with the fuel selector positioned on the left fuel tank for at least 45 minutes during the annual inspection. Fuel consumption calculations indicate this would have nearly depleted the left fuel tank of fuel. No additional fuel was added by the mechanics or the pilot before the accident flight nor was there any discussion between the pilot and mechanic regarding the amount of fuel remaining in the airplane.
It is likely that the pilot departed without a thorough preflight inspection or he would have observed the low fuel quantity and switched to the right fuel tank before departure. The pilot stated that he switched tanks once during the accident flight after the power loss. As the fuel selector was found in the right tank position at the accident site, it is likely that he departed on the left fuel tank. This evidence suggests that the pilot’s improper fuel management resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.
Further, the departure airport did not sell the type of fuel required to power the accident airplane. However, it is unlikely that this would have influenced the pilot’s decision as he believed he had sufficient fuel to complete the flight.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation, a total loss of engine power, and an impact with terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/california/articles/2022-07-22/pilot-hurt-as-small-plane-crashes-on-san-jose-street
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105586
https://www.ktvu.com/news/pilot-seriously-injured-in-small-plane-accident-near-san-joses-reid-hillview-airport
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=300BH
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N300BH/history/20220723/0230Z/KRHV/KRHV
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a31f73&lat=37.337&lon=-121.826&zoom=16.0&showTrace=2022-07-23
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Jul-2022 04:18 | Geno | Added |
| 23-Jul-2022 04:27 | Geno | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source] |
| 23-Jul-2022 04:28 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 24-Jul-2022 07:51 | AgOps | Updated [Source] |
| 15-Dec-2023 15:22 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Phase, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, Photo] |
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