Lawrenceburg, KY, USA
N2364A
Piper PA-38-112
After the airplane was leveled at 2,500 feet, the pilot demonstrated to the passenger, the effects of G forces by "floating" a notepad. During the demonstration, the engine lost total power. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine, and performed a forced landing to a field, where the fuselage and wings of the airplane were substantially damaged. The engine was successfully test ran after the accident, with no abnormalities noted. According to the airplane's Information Manual, "The shape of the wing fuel tanks is such that in certain maneuvers the fuel may move away from the tank outlet. If the outlet is uncovered, the fuel flow will be interrupted and a temporary loss of power may result. Pilots can prevent inadvertent uncovering of the outlet by avoiding maneuvers which could result in uncovering the outlet."
On June 29, 2004, at 2020 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-38-112, N2364A, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after experiencing a loss of engine power near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The certificated private pilot was not injured, and a passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the pilot, the flight departed from the Capitol City Airport, Frankfort, Kentucky, with about 20 gallons of fuel. After the airplane was leveled at 2,500 feet, the pilot demonstrated to the passenger, the effects of G forces. After the demonstration, the pilot reduced power, and a few moments later, the engine lost total power. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine, and performed a forced landing to a field, where the fuselage and wings of the airplane were substantially damaged. According to the passenger, he informed the pilot that "he didn't want him to do anything that would scare him" during the flight. The pilot then placed a notepad between them, and performed a maneuver that made the notebook float into the air. The engine subsequently quit thereafter. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector test ran the engine after the accident. The engine operated with no abnormalities noted. According to the PA-38-112 Information Manual, "The shape of the wing fuel tanks is such that in certain maneuvers the fuel may move away from the tank outlet. If the outlet is uncovered, the fuel flow will be interrupted and a temporary loss of power may result. Pilots can prevent inadvertent uncovering of the outlet by avoiding maneuvers which could result in uncovering the outlet." The PA-38-112 had a maximum capacity of 30 gallons of usable fuel. The airplane did not have a negative load factor, and inverted maneuvers were not approved. The pilot had accumulated 214 hours of total flight experience, with 3.5 hours in make and model.
The pilot's decision to perform a negative g maneuver, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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