Pilot Debrief

Piper PA28R near Houston, TX — 2020-07-28

Final reportCEN20LA314
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Date
2020-07-28
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Aircraft
Piper PA28R
Registration
N15302
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

The loss of engine power for a reason that could not be determined based on available evidence.

NTSB narrative

The airplane was operating at cruise altitude on a night cross-country flight when the engine lost all power. While in communication with an air traffic controller after the loss of engine power, the pilot reported that the airplane had 10 gallons of fuel on-board. The pilot executed a forced landing to a residential area. Examination of the airplane, including its engine and fuel system revealed no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. However, both fuel tanks were compromised during the accident and an accurate determination of the fuel onboard at the time of the accident was not possible. According to recorded flight data, the flight lasted 4 hours and 40 minutes. Based on the airplane’s usable fuel capacity of 48 gallons and fuel burn rates derived from the pilot’s operating manual, the airplane likely had fuel remaining onboard at the time the engine quit. However, the airplane was equipped with two separate fuel tanks that could be selected by the pilot individually but not simultaneously. It is possible that the selected fuel tank was empty while the other fuel tank had fuel remaining. Since both fuel tanks were compromised during the accident, it was not possible to determine if this was the case. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined from the available information.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel levels before the flight to prevent engine failure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ATC audio
  • ADS-B / radar
  • 13 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents13

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