Piper PA-18A-150 N9789D
3 May 2003 · Roanoke, Texas, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 3 May 2003 at about 20:00 local time, a Piper PA-18A-150 registered N9789D, operated by Marcair, was involved in an accident near Roanoke, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. 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 20:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Roanoke, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.0497, -97.2322
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18A-150
- Registration
- N9789D
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Marcair
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Roanoke → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW03LA143
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Probable cause
The flight instructor's inadequate in-flight planning/decision resulting in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power. A contributing 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
During the takeoff climb of the 3rd or 4th touch and go, "the engine lost power and began to sputter." Prior to the flight, according to the cockpit fuel sight gauges observed by the private pilot, the left fuel tank indicated approximately 3/4 full of fuel, and the right tank indicated approximately 1/2 full of fuel. The private pilot, who was receiving instruction for a tailwheel endorsement, stated the fuel selector was selected to the left fuel tank at the time the engine lost power. After the engine lost power, the flight instructor initiated a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted trees and terrain, and came to rest on its nose. Examination of the airplane revealed the fuel system was intact, the left main fuel tank was empty, the right main fuel tank contained "plenty of fuel," and the fuel was clear of contaminants.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-18A accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jun 2003 | Piper PA-18A-150 | Laurel, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 2003 | Piper PA-18A | Zurich, Montana, United States | Prairie Aviation, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 Apr 2003 | Piper PA-18A-150 | Newcastle, Wyoming, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 30 Dec 2002 | Piper PA-18A 150 | Blairstown, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 2002 | Piper PA-18A | Garden City, Kansas, United States | Daniel A. Wiltz | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Jun 2004 | Piper PA-18A | Trego, Montana, United States | Chance W. Chacon | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Aug 2003 | Robinson R22 BETA | Ozona, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 Nov 2003 | Cessna 550 | Mineral Wells, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2003 | Robinson R22 BETA | Houston, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Apr 2003 | Boeing A75N1 | Houston, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 2003 | Apex CAP 10B | Gladewater, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 19 Nov 2003 | Beechcraft A45 | Montgomery, Texas, United States | Texas Air Aces | Fatal | 2 |