Pilot Debrief

Piper PA 18 225 DD near McCall, ID — 2019-04-23

Final reportWPR19LA120
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Date
2019-04-23
Location
McCall, ID, USA
Airport
MYL
Aircraft
Piper PA 18 225 DD
Registration
N727WW
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Descent

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was descending toward the destination airport after about 1 hour of flight when the engine lost total power. The pilot was unable to restore engine power and the airplane impacted trees about 4 miles from the destination. During recovery of the airplane, about 1.5 gallons of fuel was found in the right-wing tank. The left-wing tank was void of fuel. The fuel selector was found in the left-tank position. Postaccident examination of the engine following recovery from the accident site revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he departed on the flight with about 14.5 gallons of fuel onboard; however, the amount of fuel onboard at the time of the accident was not determined. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel levels before descent to ensure adequate fuel supply.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents3

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