Piper PA-32-260 N3689W

Summary

On 16 January 1999 at about 15:30 local time, a Piper PA-32-260 registered N3689W was involved in an accident near Creal Springs, Illinois, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 January 1999 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Creal Springs, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

37.6093, -88.8302

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-260

Registration

N3689W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chesterfield → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI99LA066

2 people had minor injuries.

was the pilot having the fuel tank selector in the improper position and not following the airplane manufacturer's emergency procedures to restore a loss of power. A factor in this accident was fuel starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said the airplane climbed to 5,000 feet above mean sea level. He said he attempted to adjust the mixture control, but was unable to do so because of a mechanical problem. According to the pilot, the engine stopped running about 30 minutes after switching to the left wingtip fuel tank. He said, 'I thought of changing the gas tank switch, but thought that I had at least 1 hour [of] gas in all of my tanks so I didn't.' While approachng a field in which to land the airplane collided with trees and the ground. The on-scene investigation revealed the fuel tanks had ruptured during the collision sequence. The fuel selector was found in the 'Left Tip Tank' position. No anomalies were found with the engine or its accessories that would have resulted in a loss of power. The Piper PA-32-260 Owner's Handbook provides the procedures on how to handle an 'Engine Power Loss in Flight.' Among the procedures to be followed is, '1. Fuel Selector- Switch to another tank containing fuel. 2. Electric Fuel Pump- On... .'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.