Piper PA-12 N7820H
5 August 2008 · Brownsboro, Alabama, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 5 August 2008 at about 19:40 local time, a Piper PA-12 registered N7820H was involved in an accident near Brownsboro, Alabama, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. 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 19:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Brownsboro, Alabama, United States
- Nearest airport
- Moontown Airport (3M5)
- Coordinates
- 34.7500, -86.4678
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12
- Registration
- N7820H
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Brownsboro → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC08LA270
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to ensure the fuel valve was on prior taxi and takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed following loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot taxied the airplane to the runway and took off. According to witnesses when the airplane was approximately 50 feet above ground level, the engine of the airplane "faltered." The airplane then descended behind a row of trees, the sound of a crash was heard, and smoke began to rise from the area where the plane was last seen. The airplane owner stated to a Safety Board investigator that it was his practice to shut the fuel selector valve off after shutting the engine down, in order to prevent fuel from draining from the wing tanks, through the carburetor, and on to the ground. He further stated that with the fuel selector valve in the "OFF" position, enough fuel remained in the lines and gascolator to permit a taxi out, engine runup, and a few more minutes of engine operation. The fuel selector valve from the accident airplane was recovered and confirmed to be in the "OFF" position.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-12 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul 2008 | Piper PA-12 | Rio Grande, New Jersey, United States | Paramount Air Service Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Jan 2008 | Piper PA-12 | Centerville, Washington, United States | Dwayne A. Hansen | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 2008 | Piper PA-12 | N. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States | Barnstormer Flite Signs Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 2008 | Piper PA-12 | Wasilla, Alaska, United States | Richard L. Rios | No injuries | - |
| 14 Sep 2008 | Piper PA-12 | Slana, Alaska, United States | Gavitt Brad W | No injuries | - |
| 9 Jul 2007 | Piper PA-12 | Mukilteo, Washington, United States | Marc A. Olson | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jun 2008 | Beechcraft S35 | Creola, Alabama, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 2008 | Piper PA-32-300 | Lapine, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Oct 2008 | Cessna 182T | Gulf Shores, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Oct 2008 | Piper PA-28-140 | Repton, Alabama, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Jan 2008 | Quicksilver SPORT 2S | Arley, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jun 2008 | Taylorcraft F19 | Montgomery, Alabama, United States | James W. Freeman | Minor injuries | - |