Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-24-260 near Santa Barbara, CA — 2009-08-23

Final reportWPR09LA412
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Date
2009-08-23
Location
Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Airport
SBA
Aircraft
PIPER PA-24-260
Registration
N8775P
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

A loss of power during approach due to fuel exhaustion for undetermined reasons

NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he departed with an estimated 32 gallons total (28 usable) of fuel on board for the 148-nautical-mile flight. He thought that the flight would take about 1.1 hours, which would leave a 1-hour fuel reserve. The left main tank was selected for takeoff, climb, and initial cruise. About 57 miles from his destination, the pilot switched from the left main fuel tank to the right main fuel tank, and he noted that the fuel flow gauge indicated a fuel burn of 12.5 gallons per hour. He said that when he was on approach and about 5 miles from his destination, the engine began to run rough and lose power. He turned the fuel boost pump on and switched back to the left main tank; however, he was unable to restore full engine power. He declared an emergency and prepared to make an off-airport forced landing. Because of terrain and other considerations, he landed on the southbound lanes of a freeway. Immediately after touchdown, an automobile struck the left wing, and two other automobiles struck the airplane before it came to a rest on the freeway. During the recovery, there was no evidence of fuel in the airplane, including the 4 gallons of unusable fuel that should have been in the tank. The pilot opined that the fuel vented from the airplane due to a mechanical problem. During a postaccident engine examination, there was no visible fuel found in any of the engine fuel system components, and there was no fuel staining observed at any of the engine compartment fuel system line fittings or components. At the conclusion of the examination, no anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the airframe revealed that the left wing main fuel tank filler cap was loose in the filler hole when latched; it could easily be rotated. There were no stains on the top or bottoms of the wings in the fuel vent areas or around any of the main or auxiliary filler caps. There were dark blue stains on the inside of the fuel drain access door, but not on the outside.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel system integrity before departure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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