Piper PA-32RT-300T N300KG

Summary

On 13 October 2015 at about 01:30 local time, a Piper PA-32RT-300T registered N300KG, operated by Griggs R Kevin, was involved in an accident near Salisbury, North Carolina, United States. 3 people were 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

13 October 2015 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Salisbury, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Rowan County (RUQ)

Coordinates

35.6458, -80.5203

Aircraft

Piper PA-32RT-300T

Registration

N300KG

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Griggs R Kevin

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Columbia → Salisbury

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA16CA011

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadvertent switching of the fuel selector to the "off" position on final approach, which resulted in a total 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 stated he had an uneventful cross-country flight and on the downwind leg of the destination airport traffic pattern, he switched the fuel selector from the right tank to the left tank and turned on the boost pump. While on short final approach, the engine started losing power as the airplane was approximately 75 feet above ground level. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain about 600 feet short of the runway and came to rest upright. The pilot further stated that at the time of the engine power loss, he pushed all the controls, mixture, propeller, and throttle full forward and the engine rpm started to increase, but then quickly decreased again. The pilot then shut-off the master switch and walked to the fixed based operator to get help. He then walked back to the airplane, shut the ignition off and took his keys and headset out of the airplane. The pilot added that he did not touch the fuel selector. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the wings, landing gear, and stabilator. The inspector also noted that although adequate fuel remained in both fuel tanks, the airplane fuel selector was in the "off" position. The pilot further reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.