Piper PA-24-250 N7878P

Summary

On 13 February 2000 at about 22:30 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N7878P was involved in an accident near College Station, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 February 2000 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

College Station, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

College Station (CLL)

Coordinates

30.5998, -96.3094

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N7878P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Conroe → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW00LA081

2 people were seriously injured.

The loss of engine power due to fuel system contamination. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On final approach at the destination airport, the airplane's engine 'stopped.' The pilot switched fuel tanks and turned on the fuel pump. Engine power was not restored. Upon realizing that the approach glidepath would put the airplane into trees, the pilot elected to land in a field short of the trees. Continuity of the fuel system was confirmed. Physical evidence of contamination (ferrous and nonferrous) was found throughout the fuel system (fuel strainer, selector valve, electric fuel pump, left wing fuel cavity, and carburetor) indicating that water had been present at some time and was allowed to remain in the system. During the preflight, it is necessary for the pilot to select each tank with the fuel selector valve then individually drain it, from the cockpit, prior to flight, using the drain valve on the fuel selector. The individual tanks are not equipped with drain sumps. If a fuel tank, that was not drained properly, was selected during flight, water and/or contaminants could be introduced into the engine causing a partial loss of power or engine stoppage. The engine was removed from the airframe, and during an engine run, no apparent anomalies were found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.