Pilot Debrief

Piper PA32 near Houston, TX — 2019-11-09

Final reportCEN20LA018
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Date
2019-11-09
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Airport
DWH
Aircraft
Piper PA32
Registration
N7703J
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to select the proper fuel tank before departure, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.

NTSB narrative

The pilot departed on a local flight and shortly after takeoff, the engine lost all power. The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a field. About 10 gallons of fuel was recovered from the left main fuel tank; the left wingtip fuel tank was impact-damaged and was empty. Both right wing fuel tanks were empty and neither tank was impact damaged or compromised. The fuel selector valve was in the right main tank position. After recovery, the engine was plumbed to an external fuel source; the engine started and ran without hesitation at various power settings. There were no mechanical anomalies with the engine or related systems that would preclude normal operation. It is likely that the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power during takeoff due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's failure to select the proper fuel tank.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel levels before takeoff to prevent engine failure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents4

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