Piper PA28 N6303J

Summary

On 14 November 2022 at about 22:00 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N6303J, operated by Sundowner Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Lancaster, Ohio, United States. 2 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

14 November 2022 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lancaster, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Fairfield County (LHQ)

Coordinates

39.7557, -82.6573

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N6303J

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Sundowner Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA061

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power during initial climb for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor was conducting a local instructional flight with a new student pilot. Following the preflight inspection and engine start, the flight instructor noted that the fuel selector looked to be positioned “in the right place,” and that neither he nor the student touched the fuel selector for the entirety of the accident flight. They subsequently conducted about 15 to 20 minutes of the instructional lesson on the ground, while the engine was running. During engine run-up, the flight instructor noted that “the fuel pressure indicator went to zero” so he turned on the airplane’s electric fuel pump and the fuel pressure recovered. After 1 to 2 minutes, the flight instructor turned off the electric fuel pump and the fuel pressure returned to the normal range and remained there. After takeoff, and during the initial climb, the engine started to “lose and gain power,” so the flight instructor attempted a turn back to the departure runway. Halfway through the turn, the airplane lost all engine power, and the flight instructor landed the airplane in a grassy area, but encountered uneven terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing during the landing. Initial postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector was of a configuration that the handle of the rotary valve faced away from the fuel tank being selected, while the opposite side of the handle indicated the selected tank or shutoff position. The operator had painted a gray/white stripe on the handle and fuel selector valve placard that showed the selected tank to aid pilots in correctly selecting the desired position. Following the accident, the flight instructor stated that he was confused by the white paint stripe on the fuel selector. He also stated that the airplane’s owner advised him after the accident that the fuel selector had been found in the “off” position after the accident. The wreckage was subsequently disposed of by the owner, and no additional detailed examination was conducted to determine if the fuel selector valve handle, the valve mechanism itself, or fuel selector valve placard were correctly oriented and that the internal valve mechanism was intact, nor were the engine or fuel system otherwise examined or tested. Based on this information, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.