Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Georgetown Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Georgetown, Texas 78628
Monday, July 10, 2006 14:10 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The 598-hour flight instructor was giving the143-hour private pilot a currency ride in a single-engine airplane, when the engine lost power. The flight instructor reported that while on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, the private pilot "consciously and vocally" announced that he was performing a "GUMPS" check, which was an abbreviated pre-landing checklist for Gas-Undercarriage-Mixture-Propeller and Switches. The private pilot checked the fuel selector (Gas), and noted that it was set to the full forward position (right tank). He then "twisted" the fuel selector handle to the "full back" position and inadvertently turned it to the OFF position. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power. The private pilot turned the airplane onto final approach, and told the flight instructor that the engine "was not producing power." The flight instructor took control of the airplane, and it subsequently impacted trees and terrain short of the runway. Examination of the fuel selector revealed that it could be turned to the OFF, LEFT and RIGHT positions. When the selector handle was pointed full forward, the RIGHT tank was selected; when the selector handle was pointed straight up, the LEFT tank was selected, and when the selector handle was pointed toward the rear of the airplane (full back) the OFF position was selected. Incorporated on the fuel selector cover (placard) was a safety button that was designed to keep a pilot from unintentionally turning the fuel selector to the OFF position. The pilot would have to physically depress the button so the fuel selector handle could bypass it and be moved into the OFF position. The private pilot stated that he was not aware of this safety feature and that he did not depress the safety button when he moved the fuel selector during the accident flight. According to an FAA inspector, who performed an examination of the airplane, the fuel selector handle was found in the OFF position; however, when he moved the selector handle through its full range of motion, the handle moved freely to the OFF position without having to depress the safety button.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation after the private pilot inadvertently positioned the fuel selector to the OFF position. Contributor factors were the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing and the unreliable safety detent button on the fuel selector.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/10/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1410 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Georgetown |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78628 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 304113N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0974023W |
| Event Location Airport | Georgetown Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GTU |
| 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 | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 790 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1355 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GTU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1600 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 33 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 20571 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 10 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 31 2006 8:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Austin, Texas |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8164J |
| NTSB Number | DFW06CA179 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| 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-28-161 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-8216126 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2325 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 8562 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Pilot's Choice Aviation |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Georgetown |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78628 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Pilot's Choice Aviation |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Georgetown |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 78628 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KGTU |
| Departure City | Georgetown |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1340 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KGTU |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - base leg/base to final |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 29 2006 9:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18 |
| Runway Length | 5000 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |