Piper PA-20 accident near Quinault, Washington, June 4, 2000
On June 4, 2000 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-20, registered N7737K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Quinault, Washington. It was a personal 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
Fuel starvation due to the pilot's failure to position the fuel selector valve to the proper/correct position while switching fuel tanks. Factors include unreliable fuel selector valve position detents, having no suitable terrain in which to execute a forced landing, and a high rate of descent at the moment the aircraft touched down.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2000 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Quinault, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-20 · all PA-20s on the register
- Registration
- N7737K · no longer on the register · serial 20-560
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight, the pilot switched from an empty right tank, to a full left tank. Because the detents on the fuel selector valve were hard to feel, he inadvertently placed the selector in a position that would not allow enough fuel to flow to the engine to allow it to continue to produce power. When the engine quit, he attempted to reposition the valve to the right tank, but the engine did not restart. The pilot therefore tried once again to select the left tank, but was unable to place the selector in the correct position. He therefore once again tried the right tank, but was unsuccessful in getting fuel to the engine. Because there was no suitable place to attempt a landing, he elected to try to put the aircraft down between the stacks of logs in a commercial log-sorting yard. During his attempt to land in the confined space, the main gear hit the surface with enough force to cause one main gear leg to collapse. A post-accident inspection of the fuel selector determined that it functioned properly when in the correct position, but the alignment detents themselves were hard to discern.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,677 hours in all; 158 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,677 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,854 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 4, 1999; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLM Port Angeles WA at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.