Piper PA-32-300 N1452T

Summary

On 16 February 2000 at about 16:50 local time, a Piper PA-32-300 registered N1452T, operated by H. James Knuppe, was involved in an accident near Ukiah, California, 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.

Date

16 February 2000 at 16:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Ukiah, California, United States

Coordinates

38.7106, -123.3292

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-300

Registration

N1452T

Category

Airplane

Operator

H. James Knuppe

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Hayward

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Not Reported

NTSB number

LAX00LA088

Nobody was injured.

failure of the pilot to comply with the checklists in the Owner's Handbook, resulting in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Fuel levels in both fuel tanks were 1 inch from the top of the filler neck when the airplane departed Hayward, California, en route to Ukiah. The right tank was selected for the flight to Ukiah, the landing, and the subsequent takeoff for the return trip to Hayward. A right turn was initiated after departure from runway 33 at an altitude of 400 feet agl. Passing through 500 feet, the pilot encountered a power fluctuation, which concerned him enough to continue his turn to set up for a landing on runway 15. The engine then quit producing power, and the pilot set up a glide to attempt a return to the airport. After advancing the mixture, throttle, and propeller controls, he verified the ignition was on, but did not have time to switch fuel tanks. The airplane collided with a fence along the airport boundary. The FAA accident coordinator observed the fuel selector on the right tank and drained 12 ounces of fuel from that tank. The fuel inlet line to the engine was examined and no fuel was present. The left tank fuel level was 1 inch below the filler neck. The takeoff and approach and landing checklists in the Owner's Handbook instruct the pilot to select the fullest tank for landing and the proper tank for takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.