Piper PA-38-112 N9279T
16 December 2011 · Merry Hill, North Carolina, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 16 December 2011 at about 16:30 local time, a Piper PA-38-112 registered N9279T, operated by Taylor Michael B, was involved in an accident near Merry Hill, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Merry Hill, North Carolina, United States
- Coordinates
- 36.0228, -76.8042
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112
- Registration
- N9279T
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Taylor Michael B
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Plymouth → Merry Hill
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA12LA112
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
Operation of the airplane by a non-certificated pilot. Contributing to the accident was the non-certificated pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed while making a forced landing following a total loss of engine power at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Also contributing was the pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane was maneuvering at a treetop level toward an open field when the engine stopped producing power. The airplane then descended at a steep angle over the approach end of the field and collided with terrain, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomaly. The left fuel tank was selected on the fuel selector, and no fuel was found in the left tank. There was no odor of fuel, and no fuel staining present around the tank. The right fuel tank was also empty, but there was some fuel blighting of the vegetation beneath the right fuel cap. The pilot/owner did not hold a pilot certificate.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-38 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 2011 | Piper PA-38-112 | Centerburg, Ohio, United States | Whittenburg Douglas M | No injuries | - |
| 7 Dec 2011 | Piper PA-38-112 | Davis, California, United States | Mazzei Flying Service | No injuries | - |
| 15 Aug 2011 | Piper PA-38-112 | Silver Bow, Montana, United States | JJ Aviation | Fatal | 2 |
| 16 Aug 2012 | Piper PA-38-112 | Bruera, Cheshire, United Kingdom | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 12 Jun 2012 | Piper PA-38-112 | Mt. Vernon, Missouri, United States | Biellier Dave H | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Oct 2012 | Piper PA-38-112 | Corona, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr 2011 | Aviat A-1B | Burgaw, North Carolina, United States | Michael J Barri | No injuries | - |
| 26 Feb 2011 | Liberty LIBERTY XL-2 | Burlington, North Carolina, United States | TAA Flight Training | No injuries | - |
| 2 Dec 2011 | Nuse George F1H ROCKET | Caroleen, North Carolina, United States | Supair, LLC | No injuries | - |
| 1 Dec 2011 | Bell 206L-3 | Wingate, North Carolina, United States | U S Helicopters Inc | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 2011 | Grumman American Avn AA-5A | Linden, North Carolina, United States | Guyton Joseph W | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Oct 2011 | Aviat A-1 | Moyock, North Carolina, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |