Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-28-140 near Buford, GA — 2023-01-24

Final reportERA23LA117
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Date
2023-01-24
Location
Buford, GA, USA
Aircraft
PIPER PA-28-140
Registration
N7470R
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Descent

Probable cause

Water contamination in the fuel system that was not observed during the preflight inspection, resulting in a total loss of engine power and forced landing.

NTSB narrative

The student pilot and his flight instructor were on a local flight and were practicing maneuvers before returning to their home airport. Shortly after the student switched fuel tanks, the engine unexpectedly lost all power. The flight instructor confirmed that the throttle was full forward and the mixture was full rich. Unable to reach an airport due to their altitude, the flight instructor performed a forced landing to a local interstate highway. During the landing, the airplane’s nose landing gear collapsed and the right wing was damaged. The pilots were not injured. Examination of the engine, including a test run, revealed no evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. During the examination of the carburetor, about 1 ounce of cloudy water was found in the carburetor bowl; no water was found in the gascolator. The flight instructor reported that no water was observed during the preflight inspection. Based on this information, it is likely that, as the student switched fuel tanks, previously undetected water from within the fuel system was introduced into the carburetor, resulting in the total loss of power.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Fuel tank switch could have been checked before switching tanks.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 6 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents6

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