Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot in command's inattentive management of the fuel supply.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On September 2, 1999, about 1900 Eastern Daylight Time, a Piper PA-18-150, N2584P, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Greenville, Maine. The certificated commercial pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot stated that he had departed from his home on Moosehead Lake, Maine, about 1830, with the fuel selected on the left tank. While maneuvering over some clear-cut timber, at an altitude of about 300 feet above the ground, the engine suddenly quit. The pilot realized that he had exhausted the fuel in the left tank and attempted to switch to the right tank, which had about 12 gallons of fuel remaining. The engine did not respond, and a forced landing was made to a dirt road. The airplane touched down on it's floats, coming to rest upright.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC99LA218