Piper PA-32-260 accident near Louisville, Kentucky, April 23, 2002
On April 23, 2002 at about 9:24 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N166PA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Louisville, Kentucky (Bowman Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent selection of an empty fuel tank, which resulted in fuel starvation of the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 2002 · about 9:24 pm local time
- Place
- Louisville, Kentucky · Bowman Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N166PA · registry record · serial 32-836
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed a preflight inspection of the airplane by the checklist, and filled both main fuel tanks with fuel. The auxiliary wing tip tanks were not serviced. The fuel samples drained from the airplane during the pre-flight inspection were absent of water and debris. The engine run-up, takeoff, and initial climb were completed without incident. When the airplane reached about 1,000 feet, the engine stopped producing power. During the subsequent forced landing, the airplane struck a building and a post before it came to rest. The pilot stated that the fuel selector had been on the left main fuel tank; however, FAA inspectors found it in the left wing tip tank position. Examination of the engine revealed only impact damage, and during a subsequent test run, the engine started and ran continuously.
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: 275 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 225 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 28, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,527 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2001; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LOU Louisville KY
- Destination: JVY Jeffersonville IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 4,326 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 9:32 pm from LOU, 25 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.