Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Emporia, Kansas 66801
Thursday, May 8, 2008 15:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was on a 330-nautical-mile cross-country flight in a single-engine airplane. About 30 miles from his destination, and at an altitude of 3,500 feet, he turned on the fuel boost pump and switched fuel tanks. At about 10 miles from his destination airport the "plane got quiet." The pilot cycled the magnetos and fuel tank selector "once or twice." Unable to restart the engine, the pilot then conducted a forced landing in a field. An on-site inspection noted that fuel was present in the airplane's fuel tanks. A follow-on inspection of the airplane found no mechanical or electrical problem with the engine. However, the left inboard fuel tank appeared to have large sections of "sloshing" compound peeling from the tanks walls, blocking the fuel tank outlet. A review of maintenance records revealed that the left inboard fuel tank was treated with (sloshing compound) fuel tank sealer in February 1996. At the time of the application, the procedure was acceptable per the airplane's manufacturers service manual. The review also noted that the manufacturer's service bulletin, dated May 16, 2005, no longer recognized the compound as an approved sealer, and that the sloshing procedure should be removed from all service manuals. Additionally, the service bulletin did not contain additional instructions with regards to tanks that had been previously repaired using the sealer.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a blocked fuel outlet caused by the peeling off of a previously approved fuel tank sealer.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/8/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Emporia |
| Event State | KANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 66801 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1553 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KEMP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4500 |
| 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) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.69 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25049 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 18 2009 2:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Witchita |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N385WR |
| NTSB Number | DFW08LA133 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-7680402 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4934 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | T-N-J TRUCKING INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4 ORCHARD LN |
| Aircraft Owner City | ESTHERVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | IA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 51334-1806 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | T-N-J TRUCKING INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 4 ORCHARD LN |
| Operator City | ESTHERVILLE |
| Operator State | IA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 51334-1806 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | KTDW |
| Departure City | Tradewinds |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1345 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KEMP |
| Destination City | Emporia |
| Destination State | KS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 24 2009 8:20AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |