Fuel Exhaustion & Starvation · NTSB ERA20FA026
Piper PA32R — Paducah, KY
| Date | November 1, 2019 |
| Location | Paducah, KY |
| Aircraft | Piper PA32R |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Night · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Approach Loss of engine power (total) |
| Pilot age | 49 |
| Pilot total time | 567 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | 447 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot
- Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Fuel system-Fuel selector/shutoff valve-Incorrect use/operation
- Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Not specified
What happened
The pilot was conducting a visual, straight-in approach for landing when he reported to the tower controller that the airplane had lost engine power. The airplane subsequently impacted trees and terrain short of the runway and was destroyed by impact and a post-impact fire.
Examination of the wreckage confirmed flight control continuity and revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies. Examination of the fuel selector revealed that the fuel selector control lever was near the right fuel tank position; however, examination of the fuel selector valve revealed that the selector plate was out of the detent and not fully seated in any tank position. Impact marks on the selector plate showed the detent ball was closest to the left fuel tank and the out-of-position plate occluded the fuel port.
The first step of the manufacturer’s approach and landing checklist was, “Fuel Selector – Proper Tank.” Given the lack of other mechanical anomalies found during the examination, it is likely that the pilot moved the fuel selector at some point during the descent and approach, but failed to fully seat the selector in position, and the restricted fuel flow was likely less than what was needed to sustain engine power. Following the loss of engine power, the remaining altitude was insufficient to provide gliding distance to the runway.