Piper PA-20 N4944M

Summary

On 10 March 1983 at about 18:00 local time, a Piper PA-20 registered N4944M was involved in an accident near Martinsville, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

10 March 1983 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Martinsville, Texas, United States

Coordinates

31.5104, -94.5296

Aircraft

Piper PA-20

Registration

N4944M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Texarkana

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW83LA146

1 person had minor injuries.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

REPORTEDLY, THE PLT TOOK OFF WITH 36 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD, OF WHICH, 10 GALS WAS AUTOMOBILE LOW LEAD FUEL. THE AUTOMOBILE FUEL HAD BEEN PURCHASED FROM AN OFF AIRPORT GASOLINE STATION, WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE ACFT IN 5 GAL CANS, THEN ADDED TO THE FUEL TANKS WITH A FILTERED SPOUT. THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE BURNED FUEL FROM THE RIGHT TANK UNTIL THE ENGINE QUIT WHILE THE RIGHT GAGE INDICATED APRX 1/4 FULL. HE RESTARTED THE ENGINE & CONTINUED, USING THE LEFT TANK. THE ENGINE LOST POWER AGAIN WHEN THE LEFT FUEL GAGE INDICATE APRX 1/2 FULL. THE ACFT WAS OVER A HILLY & WOODED AREA AT 4500 FT MSL. THE PLT FOUND A SUITABLE AREA FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING, BUT THE RIGHT WING OF THE ACFT HIT A TREE SHORT OF THE AREA. AN EXAM REVEALED THAT THE GASCOLATOR WAS CLOGGED WITH UNIDENTIFIED CONTAMINANTS. THE GASCOLATOR WAS DRAINED & CHECKED DURING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION, 13 FLT HRS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. BEFORE THE ANNUAL INSPECTION, THE ACFT HAD BEEN IN STORAGE FOR 10 YRS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.