Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-28-140 near Stafford, KS — 2008-11-16

Final reportCEN09CA064
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Date
2008-11-16
Location
Stafford, KS, USA
Airport
3TA
Aircraft
PIPER PA-28-140
Registration
N6744W
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

NTSB narrative

The student pilot and his passenger had just departed in a single-engine airplane when the engine stopped producing power. The pilot attempted to switch the fuel selector to the fuller fuel tank, while making a left hand turn back towards the airport. He was unable to maintain altitude and landed hard in a cornfield resulting in substantial damage to the firewall and left wing spar. Examination of the airplane revealed that both fuel tanks were intact and filled with some fuel; however, the fuel was not drained to determine if there was any contamination or to verify how much fuel was in each tank. Engine continuity was established by manual rotation of the propeller, and no obvious mechanical deficiencies were noted.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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