Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Raleigh County Memorial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Beckley, West Virginia 25801
Friday, March 11, 1994 10:38 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE FLIGHT DEPARTED AND CLIMBED TO 7000 FEET FOR CRUISE. APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES LATER, THE ENGINE STARTED CUTTING IN AND OUT. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING AND MADE A FORCED LANDING, OFF AIRPORT INTO RISING TERRAIN. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE FOUND RUST ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK CAP AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM A CO-OWNER THAT THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK WOULD SOMETIMES CONTAIN WATER. THE FUEL TANKS HAD BEEN FOAMED AND EMPTIED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PRIOR TO ARRIVAL OF THE FAA. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE FOUND RUST COLORED WATER IN THE FUEL LINE LEADING TO THE CARBURETOR AND IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL. THE WATER WAS CLEANED OUT AND THE ENGINE RAN SATISFACTORILY.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL CONTAMINATION, WHILE OPERATING OVER UNSUITABLE TERRAIN, AFTER THE PILOT FAILED TO REMOVE ALL THE WATER FROM THE TANK PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S DECISION TO OPERATE THE AIRPLANE WITH A KNOWN LEAKING FUEL CAP.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/11/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1038 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | BECKLEY |
| Event State | WEST VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 25801 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | RALEIGH COUNTY MEMORIAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BKW |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 3 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1058 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BKW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2504 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 380 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 11 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1223 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 10:52AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3817W |
| NTSB Number | NYC94LA057 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32-260 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32-260 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-749 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 15 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 4104 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | METCAM AVIATION LTD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1610 CLARK ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | CHARLESTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | WV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 25314 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | THOMAS A. BOYD |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CRW |
| Departure City | CHARLESTON |
| Departure State | WV |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1015 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CRE |
| Destination City | MYRTLE BEACH |
| Destination State | SC |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |