Piper PA-24-250 N120S

Summary

On 27 August 2002 at about 20:20 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N120S was involved in an accident near Hernando, Mississippi, 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

27 August 2002 at 20:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Hernando, Mississippi, United States

Coordinates

34.7983, -90.0367

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N120S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marks → Hernando

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA02LA159

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's operation of the airplane with known deficiencies ( contaminated fuel system) which resulted in fuel starvation, a forced landing to a cotton field, and damage to the airplane during the landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that he had trouble getting the engine started before departing on his flight, and that even though the engine was warm he had to prime it about five times to get it started. He said that while in cruise flight at 3,000 feet, all of a sudden the engine ceased operating. He said the airspeed decreased and the propeller kept wind milling, so he verified that he had been operating the airplane obtaining fuel from the right fuel tank, turned on the boost pump, primed the engine, and it started operating again. About 4 or 5 gallons of fuel was in the left tank, but more fuel was in the right tank, and he was about half way between the departure and destination points so he said he decided to continue to his destination. He said he flew for about 20 minutes and while descending to 1,700 feet the engine ceased operating again. He said he attempted to restart it again, but was unsuccessful so he executed a forced landing to a cotton field. During the landing the right wing and right main gear were damaged. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident stated that the pilot told him that during the last annual inspection conducted in March 2002, the fuel filter was found to be partially blocked, and again in July 2002 the fuel filter drain had to be cleaned because the drain hose was also found to be blocked. Postaccident examinations of the airplane were performed by an FAA inspector and a FAA licensed mechanic, and the examinations revealed 16 gallons of fuel in the right tank, and 5 gallons of fuel in the left tank. In addition, debris was found in the fuel boost pump screen and in the carburetor.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.