Piper PA-28R-201T N38765

Summary

On 30 September 2007 at about 14:30 local time, a Piper PA-28R-201T registered N38765 was involved in an accident near Taos, New Mexico, United States. One person was 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

30 September 2007 at 14:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Taos, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

36.4547, -105.6700

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-201T

Registration

N38765

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Taos → Nogales

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN07LA166

Nobody was injured.

The unsecured B-nut fitting to the fuel return line which allowed for fuel spillage, an engine fire, and fuel exhaustion that led to the engine's subsequent failure. a factor contributing to the accident was the pilot's intentional wheels up landing in rough, uneven terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had just taken off and was in a climb heading southbound when he noticed a slight fuel smell followed by white smoke coming out of the right side of the dash. The pilot turned back toward the airport. Flames began coming from the right side of the airplane's cowling and then the engine lost power. The pilot performed a wheels up landing in rough terrain. The fire persisted as he evacuated the airplane. The airplane continued to burn until fire had consumed all but the airplane's engine, wing tips and empennage. An examination of the airplane showed a b-nut on the fuel return line had become unscrewed. No other anomalies with the airplane were found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.