Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Selma, California 93662
Wednesday, July 12, 2000 11:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During a touch-and-go takeoff the student pilot switched the fuel selector to the opposite tank, and the engine quit. The CFI took the controls and made an off-airport landing in a vineyard at the departure end of the runway. During the on-scene inspection of the airframe, a functional check of the fuel system was conducted. When the master switch was engaged and the electric boost pump placed in the ON position, it was noted that the pump was working, but there was no fuel pressure observed or fuel found in the gascolator. An inspection was then conducted on the fuel selector valve. After removal, the valve was found in-between the left and right port openings, and the fuel valve control rod could not be turned manually. The plastic fuel selector handle was removed and found cracked. The brass insert that is housed in the fuel selector handle and attaches to the fuel valve control rod would not engage completely inside the plastic handle. There were no previous signs of cracks in the plastic fuel selector handle.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A cracked plastic fuel selector handle that precluded proper engagement of the internal mechanism to fully select a port, and left it in an intermediate position, restricting the fuel supply to the engine, which subsequently lead to a loss of engine power.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/12/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1130 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | SELMA |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93662 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1256 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 350 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FAT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 336 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 90 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 55 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| 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 | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10889 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 12 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1312 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 1 2001 7:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2466D |
| NTSB Number | LAX00LA264 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-38-112 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-38-112 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 38-79A0324 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1670 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 13 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 73 |
| Airframe Hours | 4068 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ROGER ROUSE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | VISALIA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93292 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | GOLDEN EAGLE ENTERPRISES, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 4885 E. SHIELDS, STE 201 |
| Operator City | FRESNO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 93726 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 0Q4 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FAT |
| Destination City | FRESNO |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 17 2001 10:40AM |
| 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 | -- |