Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-32RT-300T near Salisbury, NC — 2015-10-13

Final reportERA16CA011
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Date
2015-10-13
Location
Salisbury, NC, USA
Airport
RUQ
Aircraft
PIPER PA-32RT-300T
Registration
N300KG
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot's inadvertent switching of the fuel selector to the "off" position on final approach, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

NTSB narrative

The pilot stated he had an uneventful cross-country flight and on the downwind leg of the destination airport traffic pattern, he switched the fuel selector from the right tank to the left tank and turned on the boost pump. While on short final approach, the engine started losing power as the airplane was approximately 75 feet above ground level. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain about 600 feet short of the runway and came to rest upright. The pilot further stated that at the time of the engine power loss, he pushed all the controls, mixture, propeller, and throttle full forward and the engine rpm started to increase, but then quickly decreased again. The pilot then shut-off the master switch and walked to the fixed based operator to get help. He then walked back to the airplane, shut the ignition off and took his keys and headset out of the airplane. The pilot added that he did not touch the fuel selector. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the wings, landing gear, and stabilator. The inspector also noted that although adequate fuel remained in both fuel tanks, the airplane fuel selector was in the "off" position. The pilot further reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel selector before final approach.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents6

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