Piper PA-28-161 N563PU

Summary

On 23 April 2002 at about 23:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N563PU was involved in an accident near Lafayette, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 April 2002 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Lafayette, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Purdue Airport (LAF)

Coordinates

40.4402, -86.9092

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N563PU

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Wayne → Lafayette

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI02LA114

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper fuel management resulting in the total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and the pilot's failure to use the checklist.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane received sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during a forced landing to a golf course 3 miles north of the destination airport. The student pilot reported she was flying a solo cross-country instructional flight. She departed at 1600 EST and had landed at another airport, but had not refueled. She departed and was en route to the destination airport. The pilot reported she was cleared to land on runway 23 and was number three for landing when the engine lost power. Her altitude was about 1,600 feet MSL and she preformed an emergency landing to a golf course. During the landing rollout, the airplane nosed over. The time of the accident was 1830 EST. The pilot reported, "If I were enabled to fly again, I would remember to switch my fuel tanks (as it says on the check lists). I would not rely on habit but on the lists which are given me for the purpose of not relying on habit." The inspection of the airplane revealed no fuel in the right tank and full fuel in the left tank. The fuel selector was found in the right tank position. The engine run was performed and the engine ran with no anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.