Piper PA-32-260 N166PA

Summary

On 23 April 2002 at about 21:24 local time, a Piper PA-32-260 registered N166PA was involved in an accident near Louisville, Kentucky, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. 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 21:24

Classification

Accident

Location

Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Nearest airport

Bowman Field (LOU)

Coordinates

38.2278, -85.6636

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-260

Registration

N166PA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Louisville → Jeffersonville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD02LA044

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's inadvertent selection of an empty fuel tank, which resulted in fuel starvation of the engine.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot performed a preflight inspection of the airplane by the checklist, and filled both main fuel tanks with fuel. The auxiliary wing tip tanks were not serviced. The fuel samples drained from the airplane during the pre-flight inspection were absent of water and debris. The engine run-up, takeoff, and initial climb were completed without incident. When the airplane reached about 1,000 feet, the engine stopped producing power. During the subsequent forced landing, the airplane struck a building and a post before it came to rest. The pilot stated that the fuel selector had been on the left main fuel tank; however, FAA inspectors found it in the left wing tip tank position. Examination of the engine revealed only impact damage, and during a subsequent test run, the engine started and ran continuously.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.