Piper PA-22-108 accident near Duchesne, Utah, August 6, 2000
On August 6, 2000 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-108, registered N4689Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Duchesne, Utah. It was a personal 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 pilot's use of excessive braking on soft terrain. Factors included fuel starvation, the fuel selector valve not engaging properly, the pilot's incorrect positioning of the fuel selector valve, and the soft terrain on which the forced landing was made.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2000 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Duchesne, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-108 · all PA-22-108s on the register
- Registration
- N4689Z · registry record · serial 22-8227
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot switched the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank and within a few moments the engine lost power. He switched the fuel selector back to the left tank, but could not restart the engine. He made a forced landing on a beach at an approach speed that was a 'little fast.' When he applied brakes, the airplane nosed over. The pilot said he 'may have shut the fuel off,' and later said the fuel selector handle and indicator pointer were not aligned with each other. In 1960, FAA issued A.D. 60-10-08 requiring the inspection of the fuel selector valve to assure proper alignment of the handle and pointer. According to the airplane maintenance records, A.D. 60-10-08 had been complied with. An FAA airworthiness inspector who examined the airplane said the fuel selector operated correctly.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,787 hours in all; 25 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,602 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 22, 2000; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U69 Duchesne UT at 8:50 pm
- Destination: U42 Salt Lake 2 UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from VEL, 60 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.