Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Skyhaven Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania 18657
Friday, August 20, 2010 15:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certified flight instructor (CFI) and private pilot departed on a local instructional flight with approximately 18 gallons of fuel on board. The CFI reported that the fuel valve had been selected to the right fuel tank for takeoff. On the fourth takeoff, when the airplane was about 50 feet above ground level, the engine lost all power. The CFI then switched the fuel selector valve to the left fuel tank and the engine restarted; however, the airplane impacted a tree, landed in the river, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing spar and lower portion of the firewall sustained substantial damage. Compression was confirmed on all engine cylinders, fuel was found in the carburetor, and the fuel screens were free of debris. According to the engine’s manufacturer, up to 14 gallons per hour of fuel could be consumed at full power. The airplane’s right fuel quantity gauge was placarded with “No take-off on right tank with less than 1/3 tank." It is likely that the right fuel tank was less than one-third full and on the initial climb the engine was starved of fuel.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A total loss of engine power during the initial climb due to the pilots' inadequate in-flight fuel management.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/20/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Tunkhannock |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 18657 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 413135N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0755623W |
| Event Location Airport | Skyhaven Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 76N |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 639 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1530 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 139 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AVP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 962 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.99 |
| 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) | 29078 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 18 2011 1:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4850A |
| NTSB Number | ERA10LA439 |
| 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-22-150 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 22-4003 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 10 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | William Earnest |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Laceyville |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 18630-9580 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | William Earnest |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Laceyville |
| Operator State | PA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 18630-9580 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 76N |
| Departure City | Tunkhannock |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1529 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 76N |
| Destination City | Tunkhannock |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 18 2011 1:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | 2007 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |