Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-28-150 near Savannah, GA — 2022-02-26

Final reportERA22LA144
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Date
2022-02-26
Location
Savannah, GA, USA
Aircraft
PIPER PA-28-150
Registration
N5208W
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The student pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

NTSB narrative

The student pilot was conducting a solo flight and was on the base leg of the traffic pattern at the conclusion of the flight when the engine lost total power. The pilot determined that he could not reach the runway and chose a river for the forced landing, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage. Examination of fueling and dispatch records revealed that at the time of the accident, the airplane had logged 4.1 hours of flight since it was most recently fueled to capacity, which would have provided about 5.3 hours of endurance in a nominal cruise flight configuration of 75% power with a fuel consumption rate of about 9 gallons per hour (gph). Interviews with the student pilot and his flight instructor, as well as a review of surveillance video of the preflight inspection, revealed that the student pilot did not visually inspect the fuel quantity. Although the instructor performed a visual inspection, the fuel quantity measuring device for the airplane “was broken” and was not used. Recovery and examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks were intact. The right fuel tank contained about 1 gallon of fuel, and the left fuel tank contained about 2 to 3 gallons of fuel. There was no evidence of fuel spillage in the water at the accident site. The fuel selector was found in the right tank position. There was no evidence found of mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of data downloaded from the airplane’s engine data monitor revealed fuel flow rates at or above 10 gph for about 21 minutes of the 1.1-hour flight. Given the position of the fuel selector, the small amount of fuel found in the right tank, and the lack of mechanical anomalies, it is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of fuel starvation when the fuel supply in the right tank was exhausted.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot did not visually inspect fuel tanks during preflight inspection.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents11

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