Piper PA-28R-180 N7593J

Summary

On 29 August 1989 at about 02:04 local time, a Piper PA-28R-180 registered N7593J, operated by Business Aircraft Limited, was involved in an accident near Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, United States. 4 people were on board and one died, 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 August 1989 at 02:04

Classification

Accident

Location

Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, United States

Coordinates

34.7197, -97.2197

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-180

Registration

N7593J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Business Aircraft Limited

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tishomingo → Oklahoma City

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW89FA155

1 person died.

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, HIS LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCEDURES FOR OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT, HIS IMPROPER USE OF THE FUEL SELECTOR IN MANAGING HIS FUEL SUPPLY, FUEL STARVATION, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO KNOW AND FOLLOW THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: INADEQUATE TRANSITION TRAINING PROVIDED BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT, THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRCRAFT, THE DARK NIGHT, AND THE TREES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT HAD BEEN REFUELED AT A NRBY ARPT BEFORE THIS PLT STARTED HIS FLT. HE TOOK OFF & FLEW THE ACFT FROM OKLAHOMA CITY TO TISHOMINGO, OK, WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR PSND TO THE RIGHT TANK (THE TANK THAT WAS LAST USED BY THE PREVIOUS PLT).ON THE RTRN FLT TO OKLAHOMA CITY AT NIGHT, THE PLT'S FATHER NOTICED THE RIGHT GAGE INDCD EMPTY WHILE THE LEFT INDCD FULL. PLT COULD NOT FIND THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE & REQUESTED HELP FROM ARTCC. BEFORE THEY COULD HELP HIM, THE ENG LOST POWER. THERE HAPPENED TO BE A PLT AT ARTCC, WHO WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PA-28. BY THE TIME HE WAS FOUND & INFO WAS PASSED TO THE PLT OF N7593J, THE ACFT HAD NRLY DSCNDD TO THE GROUND. AS THE PLT WAS REACHING FOR THE FUEL SELECTOR, THE ACFT HIT TREES & CRASHED. LATER, THE PLT SAID HE HAD NEVER OPERD THE LANDING GEAR OR FUEL SELECTOR DRG HIS CHECKOUT IN THE AIRCRAFT. HE THOUGHT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON THE FLOOR, BETWEEN THE SEATS, BUT IT WAS LOCATED ON THE LEFT WALL OF THE COCKPIT, NEAR THE PLT'S LEFT KNEE. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND PSND TO THE EMPTY RIGHT TANK.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.