ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 295162
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| Date: | Monday 29 September 2003 |
| Time: | 13:00 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-12 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N2914M |
| MSN: | 12-1334 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1947 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2160 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Anchorage, Alaska -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Anchorage-Merrill Field, AK (MRI/PAMR) |
| Anchorage, AK (Z41) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On the takeoff initial climb, about 60 feet above the ground, the airplane's engine lost power. During an emergency descent/ landing, the pilot said he switched the fuel selector valve from one tank to the other. During the landing roll, the engine power suddenly returned. The right main landing gear tire struck a runway edge light fixture, and the right main gear collapsed, damaging the propeller and the right wing lift strut. During recent maintenance, a mechanic had removed the fuel selector valve for lubrication and inspection. The mechanic reported that he noticed the fuel valve shaft did not have an index shape to properly match the selector handle position, and consequently was careful to reinstall the handle on the valve as he found it. The mechanic performed about a 10 minute engine run after reinstalling the valve. He said the pilot also ran the engine for about an additional 10 minutes before departure. The fuel selector handle is attached to the valve shaft by a screw, and can be rotated 360 degrees. The handle incorporates an arrow to provide visual reference for fuel tank selection that matches placard markings on a metal trim panel. An examination of the airplane was conducted at a recovery facility by FAA personnel, 18 days after the accident. Prior to the examination, the fuel valve handle and trim panel were removed by recovery personnel, but reportedly replaced in the position found before recovery. The FAA found that the selector handle was installed with the arrow of the handle oriented 90 degrees counterclockwise from its proper valve orientation. When the fuel selector handle was placed on the left tank, the valve was actually positioned to the right tank. When the fuel selector handle was placed on the right tank, the valve was actually positioned to an "off" position. The pilot initially reported that the fuel selector handle was positioned on the left tank during takeoff, but when asked later about the fuel selector handle position, he said he could not be certain that the fuel handle was on the left fuel tank. No further examination of the airframe fuel system or the engine was performed.
Probable Cause: A loss of engine power for an undetermined reason, which resulted in a forced landing and collision with a runway light fixture.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ANC03LA127
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Oct-2022 18:43 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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