Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Hobby Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Creswell, Oregon 97426
Sunday, March 21, 2004 9:45 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
At the completion of the flight immediately prior to the accident flight the pilot changed his habit pattern of 29 years and moved the fuel selector to the OFF position. The aircraft was equipped with a floor mounted fuel selector with 4 positions (OFF-LEFT-BOTH-RIGHT starting at the 6 o'clock position and moving counterclockwise respectively). Eight days later he took the plane out and relying only on tactile information ascertained the fuel selector in a fore-aft position assuming it was in the BOTH setting. The pilot physically but not visually verified the fuel selector in this position twice before taking off. Immediately after takeoff the engine stopped operating. A forced landing was accomplished during which the aircraft impacted a fence and a tree. The pilot reported that following the forced landing he placed the fuel selector in the OFF position. When the FAA inspector checked the aircraft following the accident he found the fuel selector in the "BOTH" position (12 o'clock position) as opposed to the "OFF" position (6 o'clock position).
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's attempting takeoff with the fuel selector in the OFF position resulting in fuel starvation. Contributing factors were the change in habit pattern and expectancy of the fuel selector position as well as the fence and tree.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/21/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 945 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Creswell |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97426 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 425617N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1235934W |
| Event Location Airport | Hobby Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 77S |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 38 |
| Airport Elevation | 535 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 954 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 300 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EUG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 369 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.16 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 16424 |
| NTSB Notification Source | SEA FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 21 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1104 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 29 2004 1:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Hillsboro FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N739HQ |
| NTSB Number | SEA04LA052 |
| 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 | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17270559 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 20 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 44 |
| Airframe Hours | 2230 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Oswalt, David |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Springfield |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97478 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 77S |
| Departure City | Creswell |
| Departure State | OR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 945 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 77S |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing after takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 4 2004 6:00PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |