Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chehalis, Washington 98532
Sunday, January 26, 1997 12:00 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The first pilot (PIC) and his father, the second pilot, shared the duties of a preflight inspection on the airplane in preparation to perform some touch-and-go landings. The second pilot visually checked both fuel tanks and noted that the left tank was low. He stated that he had mentioned this to the first pilot, and the first pilot did not 'carefully note.' The first pilot selected the left tank for the flight because the left fuel quantity gauge was erroneously indicating a full tank. During the third touch-and-go takeoff, the engine was starved of fuel and suddenly lost all power about 300 feet above the ground. The second pilot, who was also a CFI, immediately took the controls, banked the airplane to the right to avoid trees, and force landed the airplane into an open corn field. The right wing struck the ground during the landing and the airplane nosed over. No preimpact mechanical deficiencies were found with the engine. An examination of the left cockpit fuel quantity gauge revealed that the needle was captured between a deformed face plate and a sticky substance found beneath the glass. The source of the deformation and substance could not be determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the first pilot to conduct an adequate preflight inspection, and his failure to properly manage the aircraft fuel supply. This led to fuel starvation and a subsequent loss of engine power. Factors contributing to the accident are the false indication of the left cockpit fuel quantity gage due to the presence of a foreign substance and a deformed face plate, and unsuitable terrain available for a successful forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/26/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1200 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | CHEHALIS |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98532 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1155 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 160 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TDO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 375 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 55 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 334 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 26 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1205 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:06PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N344LC |
| NTSB Number | SEA97LA052 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28RT-201 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28RT-20 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-8018022 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 10 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 75 |
| Airframe Hours | 8296 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FORD, ROBERT O. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2517 NE KRESKY AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | CHEHALIS |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98532 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | CLS |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| 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 | -- |