Piper PA-38-112 accident near Selma, California, July 12, 2000
On July 12, 2000 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N2466D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Selma, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A cracked plastic fuel selector handle that precluded proper engagement of the internal mechanism to fully select a port, and left it in an intermediate position, restricting the fuel supply to the engine, which subsequently lead to a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 2000 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Selma, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N2466D · no longer on the register · serial 38-79A0324
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a touch-and-go takeoff the student pilot switched the fuel selector to the opposite tank, and the engine quit. The CFI took the controls and made an off-airport landing in a vineyard at the departure end of the runway. During the on-scene inspection of the airframe, a functional check of the fuel system was conducted. When the master switch was engaged and the electric boost pump placed in the ON position, it was noted that the pump was working, but there was no fuel pressure observed or fuel found in the gascolator. An inspection was then conducted on the fuel selector valve. After removal, the valve was found in-between the left and right port openings, and the fuel valve control rod could not be turned manually. The plastic fuel selector handle was removed and found cracked. The brass insert that is housed in the fuel selector handle and attaches to the fuel valve control rod would not engage completely inside the plastic handle. There were no previous signs of cracks in the plastic fuel selector handle.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 295 hours in all; 224 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 233 as pilot in command; 80 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,068 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 13, 2000; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Golden Eagle Enterprises, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 0Q4 at 6:30 pm
- Destination: FAT Fresno CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 194°F (90°C), dew point 131°F (55°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from FAT, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N2466D 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.