Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hernando, Mississippi 38632
Tuesady, August 27, 2002 15:20 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot said that he had trouble getting the engine started before departing on his flight, and that even though the engine was warm he had to prime it about five times to get it started. He said that while in cruise flight at 3,000 feet, all of a sudden the engine ceased operating. He said the airspeed decreased and the propeller kept wind milling, so he verified that he had been operating the airplane obtaining fuel from the right fuel tank, turned on the boost pump, primed the engine, and it started operating again. About 4 or 5 gallons of fuel was in the left tank, but more fuel was in the right tank, and he was about half way between the departure and destination points so he said he decided to continue to his destination. He said he flew for about 20 minutes and while descending to 1,700 feet the engine ceased operating again. He said he attempted to restart it again, but was unsuccessful so he executed a forced landing to a cotton field. During the landing the right wing and right main gear were damaged. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident stated that the pilot told him that during the last annual inspection conducted in March 2002, the fuel filter was found to be partially blocked, and again in July 2002 the fuel filter drain had to be cleaned because the drain hose was also found to be blocked. Postaccident examinations of the airplane were performed by an FAA inspector and a FAA licensed mechanic, and the examinations revealed 16 gallons of fuel in the right tank, and 5 gallons of fuel in the left tank. In addition, debris was found in the fuel boost pump screen and in the carburetor.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's operation of the airplane with known deficiencies ( contaminated fuel system) which resulted in fuel starvation, a forced landing to a cotton field, and damage to the airplane during the landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/27/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1520 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Hernando |
| Event State | MISSISSIPPI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 38632 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 344754N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0900212W |
| 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 | 1553 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MEM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 341 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 25 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 50 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.99 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1600 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13843 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ATL Comm. Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 27 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1717 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 26 2003 8:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Jackson, Mississippi |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N120S |
| NTSB Number | MIA02LA159 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-24-250 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24-125 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2800 |
| 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 | Mar 15 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2550 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Ammar M. Ammar |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3941 Sherrod Road N |
| Aircraft Owner City | Nesbit |
| Aircraft Owner State | MS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 38651 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | MMS |
| Departure City | Marks |
| Departure State | MS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1500 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | H75 |
| Destination City | Hernando |
| Destination State | MS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise - normal |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 5 2003 12:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |