Aviation Crash Map

Piper PA-28-161 N2937M

24 November 2002 · Santa Paula, California, United States · Minor injuries

Summary

On 24 November 2002 at about 23:40 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N2937M was involved in an accident near Santa Paula, California, United States. 4 people were on board. 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 23:40
Classification
Accident
Location
Santa Paula, California, United States
Nearest airport
Santa Paula (SZP)
Coordinates
34.3472, -119.0611
Aircraft
Piper PA-28-161
Registration
N2937M
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Big Bear City → Santa Paula
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
LAX03LA038

People

Injuries not recorded.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
4 0 0 0 2

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to follow the checklist and switch the fuel selector to the fullest tank for landing, which resulted in fuel starvation and loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane collided with an automobile during a forced landing on a road following a loss of engine power on final approach to land at the destination airport. Post-accident investigation revealed 5 to 6 gallons of fuel in the left tank and about 1.5 gallons of fuel in the right tank. The fuel selector was found positioned to the right tank. The operating handbook for the airplane states that during approach and landing, the fuel selector must be checked to ensure it is on the fullest tank.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Piper PA-28 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
14 Jan 2002 Piper PA-28-180
N3997R
Oxford, Massachusetts, United States
no coordinates
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25 Sep 2002 Piper PA-28-180
N7027W
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14 Nov 2002 Piper PA-28-201T
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20 Mar 2002 Piper PA-28-180
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Denio, Nevada, United States - No injuries -
18 Aug 2002 Piper PA-28-180
N5295L
Deerfield, Virginia, United States John P. Zachary Fatal 2

All 9,402 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
13 Jul 2002 Ayres S2R-T34
N4020Y
Firebaugh, California, United States - No injuries -
13 Nov 2002 Beechcraft A36TC
N32FW
San Andreas, California, United States - Fatal 2
5 May 2002 Sierra RAF 2000 GTX-SE
N256SB
Lompoc, California, United States - No injuries -
15 Mar 2002 Trenti RV-4
N491T
Jacumba, California, United States - Fatal 1
23 Feb 2002 Thunder and Colt COLT 120 A
N240TC
Moreno Valley, California, United States
no coordinates
- Serious injuries -
21 Sep 2002 Pzl-Bielsko SZD-42-2 JANTAR
N131AS
Hemet, California, United States - Fatal 1

All 170,864 records in United States