ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 133058
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| Date: | Friday 21 July 1995 |
| Time: | 20:45 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-24-250 |
| Owner/operator: | Reed Systems, Ltd |
| Registration: | N999JS |
| MSN: | 24-446 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-540 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Watertown, WI -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Ellenville, NY (N89) |
| Madison, WI (KMSN) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
AS THE AIRPLANE NEARED ITS DESTINATION THE PILOT SWITCHED FROM THE RIGHT TO LEFT FUEL TANK. ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AFTER SWITCHING FUEL TANKS THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. DURING ITS FORCED LANDING APPROACH THE AIRPLANE STRUCK ELECTRIC POWERLINES AND THEN COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND. THE ON-SCENE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED NO FUEL IN ANY OF ITS FUEL TANKS. ABOUT 1/2 OUNCE OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL SUMP. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR. EXAMINATION OF THE MAIN FUEL TANK BLADDERS REVEALED THE OUTBOARD, TOP, SECTION OF THE LEFT BLADDER WAS FOLDED OVER AND COLLAPSED. THE FUEL GAUGES DID NOT WORK ACCORDING TO THE PILOT. THE FUEL GAUGE SENDING UNITS ARE LOCATED NEXT TO THE WING ROOT. RESEARCH SHOWED THE FUEL SENDING UNITS WOULD READ THE LEFT FUEL TANK VOLUME LEVEL, BASED UPON FUEL LEVEL, NOT ACTUAL QUANITY.
Probable Cause: fuel exhaustion resulting from the improper fuel bladder installation by maintenance personnel. Factors associated with this accident were the collapsed fuel bladder that eliminated about 30 percent of the available fuel in the left tank that the pilot had been relying upon for the flight and operating the airplane with a known equipment deficiency: fuel tank quanity indicators.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CHI95LA236
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 09-Apr-2024 13:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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