Piper PA-24 accident near Elk Falls, Kansas, April 12, 1997
On April 12, 1997 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-24, registered N8739P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Elk Falls, Kansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
fracture of the fuel selector assembly which resulted in fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 1997 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Elk Falls, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24 · all PA-24s on the register
- Registration
- N8739P · registry record · serial 24-4190
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight, the pilot switched tanks from the left main tank to the right auxiliary tank. After switching tanks the pilot said the gauges read full and he felt the detent. The pilot had taken off with 30 gallons of fuel in the left main tank. After approximately 2 hour and 7 minutes, the engine lost power. The pilot said he switched the fuel selector to the right main tank and turned on the electrical fuel pump to try and restart the engine. The pilot was unsuccessful and he landed on a gravel road. The aircraft was substantially damaged. Examination of the fuel selector assembly revealed that the cam was separated from the shaft along the line of the braze joint. The O-ring was also separated and indicated a brittle break oriented on helical planes.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 443 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,503 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 1996; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-D4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CKP Cherokee IA at 4:08 pm
- Destination: 3T1 Mineola TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,900 ft; clear
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from PPF, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N8739P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.