Piper PA-28-181 N8274H

Summary

On 28 November 2023 at about 16:31 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N8274H, operated by Thunderbird Aircraft Co, was involved in an accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. 2 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 November 2023 at 16:31

Classification

Accident

Location

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

45.0625, -93.3540

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N8274H

Category

Airplane

Year built

1980

Engines

1

Operator

Thunderbird Aircraft Co

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Crystal → Crystal

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN24LA050

1 person had minor injuries.

Loss of engine power due to fuel starvation that was the result of a leaking fuel drain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane’s engine momentarily lost power while approaching to land near the conclusion of about a 3.5-hour flight. The pilot advanced the throttle control and engine power was restored for about 30 seconds to one minute before all engine power was again lost. The pilot reported that the airplane was operating on the right fuel tank when the power loss occurred and that all attempts to restore power were unsuccessful, including switching to the left fuel tank. The airplane struck a car during the ensuing forced landing to a road, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. Postaccident examination shortly after the accident revealed that the left fuel tank drain was leaking an undetermined amount of fuel, and the left fuel tank did not contain a usable amount of fuel. The fuel tank was not compromised. The right fuel tank contained an undetermined amount of usable fuel. Examination of the fuel tank drain revealed that the o-ring seal was deformed and gouged. Subsequent examination revealed no other anomalies that would have prevented normal engine operation. Based on the available information, although the pilot believed he was operating on the right fuel tank, he was likely operating on the left fuel tank, which had leaked an undetermined amount of fuel. The leakage from the tank drain resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent loss of engine power. Due to the low altitude when the power loss occurred, the pilot was unable to restore fuel flow to the engine before the forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.