Piper E2 N2122

Summary

On 2 June 2005 at about 23:30 local time, a Piper E2 registered N2122 was involved in an accident near Hastings, New York, 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

2 June 2005 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Hastings, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Hastings (NONE)

Coordinates

43.3667, -76.2356

Aircraft

Piper E2

Registration

N2122

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hastings → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD05LA071

Nobody was injured.

Fuel starvation due to a blocked fuel line, which resulted in a loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot/mechanic/owner explained that he had purchased the airplane 1 month prior to the accident and had been flying it for 8 days since its reassembly. The airplane had accrued about 6 hours of flight time during that span, and was flown for about one hour earlier on the day of the accident, with no deficiencies noted. The pilot started the engine and performed a ground run to bring the engine up to normal operating temperature. The takeoff and initial climb at maximum power proceeded without incident. When the airplane reached about 150 feet above ground level, the pilot adjusted the throttle for climb power, and the engine "completely cut off." The airplane collided with trees and terrain during the subsequent forced landing. Following the accident, the engine ran on the airframe without interruption. Examination of the fuel system revealed that the 90-degree fitting installed between the fuel tank and the fuel selector was completely occluded with rust, sediment, and debris. Examination of the fuel tank revealed it was comprised of two compartments, separated by a baffle. The area forward of the baffle contained a large quantity of "sludge," rust, and debris. According to the pilot/owner, he examined the interior of the fuel tank with a bore scope prior to purchase, but he did not examine the tank forward of the baffle.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.