Non-Licensed Pilot Seriously Injured When Plane Went Down

One of the things old pilots will tell you is that fuel back at the pump will do you no good at all. For the person flying the airplane involved in this accident, a pilot certificate might have also been helpful. The NTSB preliminary shows that the plane had no fuel in either tank, though there was some fuel contamination at the accident scene.

NTSB Identification: ERA12LA112
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, December 16, 2011 in Merry Hill, NC
Aircraft: PIPER PA-38-112, registration: N9279T
Injuries: 1 Serious.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors.

On December 16, 2011, about 1330 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-38-112, N9279T, crashed during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Merry Hill, North Carolina. The airplane received substantial damage and the non-certificated pilot/owner was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight that originated at Plymouth Municipal Airport (PMZ), Plymouth, North Carolina, exact time unknown. The flight was destined for the pilot/owner's private strip and was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to witness statements provide to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the airplane was maneuvering at a tree top height towards an open field, when the engine stopped producing power. The airplane then descended at a steep angle at the approach end of the field before it collided with terrain, nosed over and came to rest inverted.

FAA aviation safety inspectors examined the airplane at the accident site on the day after the accident. Control continuity was established from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces, and there was no evidence of a preimpact mechanical anomaly. The left fuel tank was selected on the fuel selector, and no fuel was found in the left tank. There was no odor of fuel, and no fuel staining present around the tank.

The right fuel tank was also empty, but there was some fuel blighting of the vegetation beneath the right fuel cap.

The pilot/owner held no pilot certificate. His most recent application for an FAA medical certificate was dated January 22, 1997, but a medical certificate was never issued. The pilot could not be interviewed due to his injuries.

According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1978, and registered to the pilot on January 21, 1997, the day prior to his medical application. It was a two-seat, low-wing, fixed gear airplane that was equipped with a Lycoming O-235, 115-horsepower engine. The airplane's tachometer showed 3,847 aircraft hours after the accident.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov