Piper PA-28C-235 accident near Falcon, Colorado, February 22, 2009
On February 22, 2009 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28C-235, registered N9487W, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Falcon, Colorado (Meadow Lake airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel management.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 2009 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Falcon, Colorado · Meadow Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28C-235 · all PA-28C-235s on the register
- Registration
- N9487W · registry record · serial 28-11226
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he preflighted the airplane and noted the following fuel gauge indications: Left tip tank, 6 gallons (17 gallon capacity); left main tank, 12-15 gallons (25 gallon capacity); right main tank, 5-10 gallons (25 gallon capacity); right tip tank, empty (17 gallon capacity). The pilot and a friend flew for about 1.5 hours then returned to the airport. While on short final approach, the engine lost power. The airplane touched down in a field 200 to 300 feet short of the runway and struck a barbed wire fence. The airplane sustained leading edge damage to both wings and damage to the left main tank. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and reported finding the fuel selector positioned on the left main fuel tank. He found fuel in the fuel selector drain and in the left main fuel tank drain. There was a negligible amount of fuel in the right main tank fuel drain. The left wing tip tank contained approximately 3 to 5 gallons, and the right wing tip tank contained approximately 2 to 4 gallons. With the fuel selector positioned on the left main tank, the engine was started and allowed to run for approximately 5 minutes. The fuel selector was then positioned on the left wing tip tank and the engine was allowed to run for another 5 minutes. The fuel selector was then positioned on the right wing tip tank, and the engine continued to run. The fuel selector was positioned on the right main tank and approximately one to two minutes later the engine stopped running. According to a Piper Aircraft Company spokesman, the airplane's engine, operating at 7000 feet mean sea level and 75 percent power, will consume about 14 gallons per hour.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fuel starvation during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,719 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2008; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: 9487W LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 00V Falcon CO at 6:30 pm
- Destination: 00V Falcon CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 6,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 17,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from AFF, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN09LA171.