Accident: Piper PA38
Feb 22, 2017 · East Haven, CT
NTSB numberERA17FA112Event id20170222X12747
- 1
- Fatalities
- 1
- Serious injuries
- 0
- Minor injuries
- 0
- Uninjured
Probable cause
The failure of the fuel selector valve in a position that restricted fuel flow to the engine, resulting in a total loss of engine power during initial climb due to fuel starvation. Also causal was the operator's failure to effectively detect and resolve the wear and progressive binding of the fuel selector valve before it failed due to excessive rotational force being applied. Contributing was the flight instructor's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during an emergency return to the airport, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin.
Source: National Transportation Safety Board. Record last changed Oct 28, 2026, 10:54 UTC.
Aircraft involved
- Aircraft
- Piper PA38
- Registration
- N2452C
- Year built
- 1978
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Operating rules
- Part 91: general aviation
- Defining event
- Initial climb Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
Source: National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident database. Counts only; Voydar holds no names.
Nearest airports
Airports with a Voydar profile closest to the recorded position. Proximity only.
- Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN)1 nm (1 km) north
- Igor I Sikorsky Memorial Airport (BDR)12 nm (22 km) south-west
- Waterbury Oxford Airport (OXC)18 nm (33 km) north-west
This page restates the NTSB's public record. Injury figures are counts; Voydar does not hold or publish the names of anyone involved.