Piper PA-22-108 N5279Z
12 December 1999 · Wales, Maine, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 12 December 1999 at about 20:30 local time, a Piper PA-22-108 registered N5279Z was involved in an accident near Wales, Maine, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Wales, Maine, United States
- Nearest airport
- Wales (ME6)
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-108
- Registration
- N5279Z
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Turner
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC00LA051
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
Fuel exhaustion due to a blocked fuel feed line.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During the initial climb after takeoff, the airplane's engine sputtered, and then lost total power. The pilot initiated a right turn and performed a forced landing to a field. After the accident, 5 gallons of fuel was drained from the left fuel tank, and 7 gallons of fuel was drained from the right fuel tank. Examination of the airplane's fuel system revealed a total blockage in the left fuel tank's aft feed line in the vicinity a bend near the fuel tank connection. According to the FAA Inspector's report, '...the bend in the line was clogged with what appeared to be hard packed sand....' There were no other pre-impact discrepancies noted. The pilot said he had selected the left fuel tank for the takeoff, as per the Airplane's Operating Handbook. Additionally, the pilot stated that the airplane had been flown for about 15 to 20 hours since it's most recent annual inspection, which was performed about 2 months before the accident. For about 6 weeks prior to the annual inspection, the airplane was parked in a 'T-Hangar' with both wings removed.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Sep 1999 | Piper PA-22-150 | Strathmore, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Sep 1999 | Piper PA-22-108 | Manassas, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Oct 1999 | Piper PA-22-150 | Newberry, South Carolina, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 1999 | Piper PA-22-160 | Brighton, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 May 1999 | Piper PA-22-108 | Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jan 1999 | Piper PA-22-160 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | Jess Snider | No injuries | - |
All 3,095 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jun 1999 | Taylorcraft BC-65 | Corinna, Maine, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jun 1999 | Cessna 172L | Millinocket, Maine, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Nov 1999 | Knox HI-MAX | Dixfield, Maine, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 1999 | Cessna 152 | Sanford, Maine, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Sep 1999 | Pratt DOMINATOR | Auburn, Maine, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Aug 1999 | Piper PA-18-150 | Saddle Island, Maine, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |