Piper PA-23-160 accident near Shelbyville, Indiana, March 13, 2009
On March 13, 2009 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-160, registered N338WS, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Shelbyville, Indiana (Shelbyville Municipal Airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power during cruise flight due to fuel contamination. Also causal was the pilot's decision to conduct the flight with known contaminants in the fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 2009 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Shelbyville, Indiana · Shelbyville Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-160 · all PA-23-160s on the register
- Registration
- N338WS · registry record · serial 23-1341
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had not been flown for four years. It was on the second leg of a ferry flight when the left engine failed. The pilot made a forced landing to a plowed field, during which the wings and bottom fuselage sustained substantial damage. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot told the airport manager that he could not get all of the water out of the fuel system and that he was sure that more water would be found during sumping, due to sloshing during the flight from the previous airport. The pilot stated that no contamination was found during the preflight. An examination of the airplane showed water in the fuel. No other anomalies were found with the airplane.
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 contamination during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,608 hours in all; 3,511 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 6, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,850 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 12, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GEZ IN at 6:15 pm
- Destination: SUS Chesterfield MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from GEZ, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.