Pilot Debrief

Piper PA24 near Upland, CA — 2018-09-17

Final reportWPR18LA268
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Date
2018-09-17
Location
Upland, CA, USA
Airport
CCB
Aircraft
Piper PA24
Registration
N7472P
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

Loss of engine power due to fuel contamination.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was on final approach to the destination airport at the conclusion of a cross-country flight when the engine lost total power. Unable to restore engine power, the pilot performed a forced landing to a field short of the runway, during which the airplane impacted large rocks, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the airplane revealed about 25 total gallons of fuel onboard. Examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, except for the aft boost pump, which contained a mixture of fuel and water. Given the lack of other anomalies and the presence of fuel onboard, it is likely that the engine ingested the fuel/water mixture, which resulted in the loss of engine power.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Switching to the left main tank earlier could have prevented the loss of engine power.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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