Accident Piper PA-28R-200 N9378N, Tuesday 10 January 1989

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Date:	Tuesday 10 January 1989
Time:	21:12 LT
Type:	Piper PA-28R-200
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N9378N
MSN:	28R35087
Total airframe hrs:	1254 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming IO-360-C1C
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Rose Hill, MS - United States of America
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Executive
Departure airport:	Gastonia, NC (OA6)
Destination airport:	Meridian, MS (KMEI)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
THE PLT RPRTD THAT DURING AN INSTRUMENT ARRIVAL AT NIGHT, HE ENCOUNTERED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS & WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY RECEIVING THE ILS SIGNAL. HE ABANDONED THE APCH & FINALLY HAD TO USE HIS FLASHLIGHT TO FLY THE ACFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ENG LOST POWER & THE ACFT CRASHED DURING A FORCED LANDING IN POOR WX CONDS AT NIGHT. AFTER THE ACDNT, THE MASTER SW WAS TURNED ON & THE FUEL PUMPS, RADIOS & ELECTRICALLY POWERED FLT & NAV INSTRUMENTS OPERATED WITH NO EVIDENCE OF A FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE AIRPORT ILS SYS WAS FLT TESTED BY THE FAA & WAS FOUND TO BE WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS. A CHECK OF THE INTACT FUEL SYS REVEALED THERE WAS TWO QUARTS OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK & 9 QUARTS IN THE LEFT TANK. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND POSITIONED TO THE RIGHT TANK. ALSO, NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE INJECTOR LINES TO THE CYLINDERS.

Probable Cause: LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON AND FUEL STARVATION FROM IMPROPER USE OF THE FUEL SELECTOR. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: NIGHT AND ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

Accident investigation: