ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 44631
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| Date: | Sunday 5 December 2004 |
| Time: | 21:40 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-180 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N4750L |
| MSN: | 28-4079 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1967 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360-A4A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Hammond, LA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Houma, LA (HUM) |
| Hammond, LA (HDC) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The 87-hour non-instrument rated private pilot departed on the return portion of a 58.7 nautical mile cross country flight at night in marginal VFR weather conditions, which included five miles visibility in mist and an overcast ceiling at 500 feet. As the pilot approached his destination airport, a witness who was an automobile mechanic, heard the airplane flying low overhead from south to north. Although he could not see the airplane, he said that it was flying "low" and that the engine sounded "good." Shortly after the airplane flew over his house, the engine started to "miss out" as if it was "starving for fuel." Examination of the airplane revealed that the cockpit, forward fuselage, and the inboard section of the left wing, including the fuel tank were consumed by post-impact fire. However, the right wing, including the fuel tank were undamaged. The fuel selector was found set to the right fuel tank position. No mechanical deficiencies were noted with the airplane or the engine that could have prevented normal operations.
Probable Cause: A loss of engine power due to the pilot's in-flight mismanagement of the available fuel supply by his failure to switch fuel tank position, which resulted in fuel starvation. Factors were the low ceilings and the prevailing dark night conditions.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20041214X01984&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 07-Dec-2017 18:35 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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