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FTW89LA040

1989-01-09 · PAWHUSKA, Oklahoma, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport H76

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE BEING INADVERTENTLY SWITCHED OFF AND THE PILOT'S EMERGENCY PROCEDURES INADEQUATE IN DISCOVERINGAND CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. THIS RESULTED IN THE FUEL STARVATION RELATED POWER LOSS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ROUGH TERRAIN ON WHICH THE FORCED LANDING WAS PERFORMED AND THE FENCE WHICH WAS CONTACTED.

Factual narrative

A LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED AT 5,500 FEET WHEN THE CABIN DOOR POPPED OPEN AND THE PILOT SLID FROM THE LEFT SEAT TO THE RIGHT SEAT TO CLOSE IT. WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND POSITIONED BETWEEN TANKS, EFFECTIVELY SHUTTING OFF THE FUEL SUPPLY TO THE ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE WAS DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A FENCE DURING THE FORCED LANDING. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_FTW89LA040.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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