Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA 28-180 near Sulphur, LA — 2014-08-08

Final reportCEN14TA421
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Date
2014-08-08
Location
Sulphur, LA, USA
Aircraft
PIPER PA 28-180
Registration
N4286T
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to properly manage the airplane’s fuel supply, which led to fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane's engine lost power about 5 minutes after takeoff and that the starter would not engage to facilitate a restart. He then executed a landing on a highway, during which the landing gear collapsed. After the accident, a first responder who held a pilot certificate examined the fuel tanks and found no fuel in the left fuel tank and that the right fuel tank was full. Additionally, the first responder found the fuel selector positioned to the left tank. No fuel leaks were detected. During recovery of the airplane, 22 gallons of fuel were drained from the right wing fuel tank and about 3 ounces of fuel were drained from the left wing fuel tank. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine, including the engine starter, revealed no preimpact anomalies. The pilot provided fuel planning information that indicated that the airplane should have had sufficient fuel to complete the flight on a single tank; however, the pilot did not position the fuel selector to the full tank. Therefore, it is likely that the engine power loss was due to fuel starvation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have switched to the right fuel tank before takeoff.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 6 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents6

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