Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-28 near Tanner, AL — 2022-11-02

Final reportERA23LA054
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Date
2022-11-02
Location
Tanner, AL, USA
Airport
DCU
Aircraft
PIPER PA-28
Registration
N8667W
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate inflight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during the cross-country flight he noticed his fuel consumption was higher than he had expected. After entering the traffic pattern at the destination airport, and while turning from base to final, the engine “sputtered.” He switched from the right to the left fuel tank and attempted to restart the engine, however, engine power was not restored. The pilot conducted a forced landing in a field and touched down hard short of the runway threshold, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane after the accident was unable to verify the presence of fuel in either the right or left fuel tanks. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that he needed to, “Establish a not to exceed minimum fuel level for continued flight.”

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents4

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