Piper PA-30 N8442Y

Summary

On 15 April 2008 at about 15:20 local time, a Piper PA-30 registered N8442Y was involved in an accident near Holbrook, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 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.

Date

15 April 2008 at 15:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Holbrook, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

34.7114, -110.2711

Aircraft

Piper PA-30

Registration

N8442Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mesa → Holbrook

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX08LA107

1 person was seriously injured.

A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's fuel system mismanagement and incorrect positioning of the fuel selector valves.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that prior to takeoff the two main fuel tanks were full to the bottom of the fill cap and the two auxiliary tanks had approximately 8 gallons in each side. About 40 minutes into the flight, and descending to the destination, the right engine lost power. The pilot stated that he did not immediately feather the prop and shut the engine down because it appeared to be a fuel starvation problem. The pilot was attempting to restart the right engine when the left engine lost power. Unable to reach the airport, the pilot initiated a gear-up forced landing to an open field. The airplane landed hard, damaging the fuselage. Recovery personnel reported that the main fuel tanks contained about 27 gallons of fuel each, while the auxiliary tanks were empty. Postaccident inspection of the engines revealed that the fuel lines leading to the engines were dry. The right engine crankshaft's flange was bent, but a test run of the left engine indicated that the engine operated normally. Evidence indicates that the pilot improperly positioned the fuel selectors so that they were on the auxiliary tanks instead of the main fuel tanks. The auxiliary tanks ran dry and the engines lost power due to fuel starvation. The pilot indicated to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he had difficulty viewing the fuel selectors on the floor between the seats.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.