Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA38 near Manville, NJ — 2011-04-02

Final reportERA11CA225
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Date
2011-04-02
Location
Manville, NJ, USA
Airport
47N
Aircraft
PIPER PA38
Registration
N2491K
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

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

NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he and his son departed on a flight to practice instrument approaches at three different airports. He said that the practice approaches that he completed were uneventful. On the return flight, with the son at the controls, on the base leg of the traffic pattern, the engine experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot said that the fuel selector was on the left wing tank, and the corresponding fuel quantity gauge indicated that the tank was empty. He switched the fuel selector to the right tank, which he used during the practice approaches; however, an attempted restart was unsuccessful. He conducted a forced landing to a road, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, horizontal stabilizer, and rudder. Postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the left fuel tank contained less than one pint of fuel, and the right fuel tank contained approximately 6 gallons.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents4

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