Piper PA28 N8003W

Summary

On 19 September 2018 at about 16:00 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N8003W, operated by San Juan Flyers Inc, was involved in an accident near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, United States. 2 people were 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

19 September 2018 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Pagosa Springs, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Stevens Field (PSO)

Coordinates

37.2303, -106.9672

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N8003W

Category

Airplane

Year built

1964

Engines

1

Operator

San Juan Flyers Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pagosa Springs → Pagosa Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA381

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's mismanagement of the fuel selector valve during the simulated forced landing demonstration and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision to ensure the fuel selector was properly set, which resulted in a loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing on unsuitable terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot rated flight instructor was introducing engine failure emergency procedures to the student pilot. Emergency procedures were reviewed inflight. The flight instructor then reduced the engine power to idle to simulate a loss of engine power. The student pilot conducted the emergency procedures on the left side of the cockpit that included switching the fuel tank selector position from right to left. The engine sputtered when the flight instructor subsequently added power to go around about 600 ft above the ground. The engine sputtered. Emergency procedures were reviewed again and the fuel pressure indication was zero. The flight instructor subsequently performed a forced landing where the airplane impacted fencing and ditches and came to rest in a field. Following the accident, the flight instructor noticed the fuel selector valve was about 1.5 to 2 inches between the left detent and off positions. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe and engine that would have precluded normal operation were reported by the flight instructor and the engine was operational during a subsequent examination of the accident airplane at the accident site. It is likely the student pilot, while conducting the emergency procedure, mismanaged the positioning of the fuel selector valve. While the student pilot was conducting the emergency procedure, the flight instructor did not adequately supervise the student pilot to ensure the fuel selector valve was properly set to the correct position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.