Piper PA28R N811MS

Summary

On 28 June 2020 at about 03:00 local time, a Piper PA28R registered N811MS, operated by Rocky Mountain Flight School, was involved in an accident near Denver, Colorado, United States. 4 people were 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

28 June 2020 at 03:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Denver, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Rocky Mountain Metro (BJC)

Coordinates

39.7490, -105.0010

Aircraft

Piper PA28R

Registration

N811MS

Category

Airplane

Year built

1989

Engines

1

Operator

Rocky Mountain Flight School

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Morgan → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

CEN20LA252

1 person had minor injuries.

The total loss of engine power during climbout due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate fuel planning.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During climbout after a touch-and-go landing maneuver, the pilot reported that the engine hesitated. Suspecting a fuel issue, the pilot attempted to switch fuel tanks, but was unable to reach the fuel selector because the shoulder harness would not release. He abandoned attempts to switch fuel tanks and turned toward flat terrain for a forced landing. The airplane landed in a field adjacent to a tree line, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. Examination of the engine, throttle and mixture controls, and fuel distribution system did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies. About 4.25 total gallons of fuel were drained from the fuel tanks; 4 gallons from the left tank and .25 gallons from the right tank. The airplane flight manual stated that unusable fuel for the airplane is 5 total gallons, 2.5 gallons in each tank for critical flight conditions. It is likely that the reported engine hesitation after takeoff was due to fuel starvation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.