Piper PA22 N7337D

Summary

On 14 February 2022 at about 22:40 local time, a Piper PA22 registered N7337D was involved in an accident near Furlow, Arkansas, 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.

Date

14 February 2022 at 22:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Furlow, Arkansas, United States

Nearest airport

Country Air Estates (1AR9)

Coordinates

34.8309, -91.9956

Aircraft

Piper PA22

Registration

N7337D

Category

Airplane

Year built

1957

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lonoke → Lonoke

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

CEN22LA121

1 person was seriously injured.

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported the takeoff and initial climb into the traffic pattern were uneventful. However, the engine began to run rough while on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. The pilot immediately changed the fuel selector from the right tank to the left tank, verified that the carburetor heat was on, and turned the airplane toward the runway. The pilot’s efforts to restore engine power were not successful. The airplane was not able to glide to the runway, and the pilot executed a forced landing into a wooded area. Postaccident examination revealed that the left fuel tank was intact and the right fuel tank appeared to be compromised. A distinct fuel odor was present at the accident site and fuel was observed leaking from the left tank. The engine carburetor bowl contained minimal fuel, and the carburetor accelerator pump did not contain any fuel. No other anomalies with respect to the engine were observed. The pilot recalled that the left and right fuel tanks contained about 4 gallons and 7 gallons, respectively, before takeoff. While it is possible that the pilot’s decision to change to the tank containing less fuel resulted in unporting of the fuel tank inlet and the subsequent loss of engine power, the investigation was unable to determine the reason for the loss of power or the initial engine roughness.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.