Pitcairn PA-4 accident near Rawlings, Maryland, September 9, 2012
On September 9, 2012 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Pitcairn PA-4, registered N3261, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Rawlings, Maryland (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from a fuel outlet in the fuel tank that was blocked by peeled debris from a previously approved fuel tank sealer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2012 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Rawlings, Maryland · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitcairn PA-4
- Registration
- N3261 · registry record · serial 5
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was climbing through about 150 to 200 feet above ground level after takeoff when the engine lost total power, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a nearby pasture. The airplane descended, impacted the ground, and came to rest on the right side of the fuselage. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. The carburetor bowl and fuel lines contained a trace amount of fuel. Upon further examination, debris was discovered in the fuel tank, and large sections of a material were peeling from the fuel tank walls. In addition, there were rusty areas in the fuel tank. The fuel tank outlet did not contain a fuel screen for fuel to travel through when exiting the tank. Maintenance records indicated that in April 1990, the accident airplane had undergone major repairs and alterations, which included sealing of the fuel tank with a sloshing sealer, use of which was approved at the time. However, in 2009, the Federal Aviation Administration released a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin stating that over time, that sloshing sealer could deteriorate and peel from the internal wall of the fuel tank. Pieces of the sealer could then block the fuel tank outlet, potentially starving the engine of fuel. It was not possible to determine to what extent maintenance personnel examined the fuel tank during the most recent annual inspection, which was completed in September 2012. It is likely that the sloshing sealer compound that was applied to the fuel tank in 1990 had peeled off the inner wall of the fuel tank and blocked the fuel outlet, resulting in fuel starvation of the engine and the subsequent total loss of engine power.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Damaged/degraded
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 15,076 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 14,231 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 16, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,877 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 3, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,880 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wright CURTISS OX5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Rawlings MD at 1:30 pm
- Destination: Rawlings MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 1,700 ft by 180 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 am, 5 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.