What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 4, 2013, at or about 07:48 EDT, N637FT, an fit aviation, LLC, Piper warrior iii, experienced a loss of engine power at an estimated altitude of 50 feet AGL while departing runway 5 at the Melbourne International Airport (mlb), Melbourne, Florida. The aircraft landed with no damage or injuries in a grassy area east of the runway 5 centerline and east of the runway 9R departure end on a northeast heading.
First responder, Melbourne airport operations manager clifford graham, who witnessed the incident while holding short of runway 5, stated that fuel was pouring out of a line on the left side of the engine when he arrived at the airplane immediately after the power off landing. The fuel flow was stopped by the instructor who landed the airplane.
The fit instructor and an fit student were the only occupants on board the aircraft. Both instructor and student indicated that everything prior to the loss of engine power appeared to be normal. Subsequent to the power off landing both the instructor and student indicated that the engine fuel sump was leaking fuel. Fuel draining from the engine sump drain during the airplane?s operation prior to the power off landing was evident as indicated by blue fuel dye stains on the cowling, fuselage, and wing.
Inspection of the engine fuel sump valve revealed that the sump valve was catching on the engine cowling which prevented the valve from closing after sampling fuel. Inspection of the run-up area where the run-up was completed revealed evidence of aviation fuel staining on the asphalt. The tie down spot where the aircraft was originally parked had a large fuel stain, approximately 6 feet by 10 feet, running from where the engine sump drain was located toward a storm drain.
A review of the fit normal procedures checklist revealed that the cockpit preparation checklist reads; fuel selector?turn off to verify operation. The Piper, PA-28-161, warrior iii, preflight check, cockpit checklist does not include this step/procedure. This added procedural step prevents the engine fuel sump from being properly sampled. Furthermore, if the sump drain is not properly closed after fuel sampling the opened drain may not be detected prior to reentering the cockpit for flight.
Once airborne with maximum engine power for takeoff the engine fuel demand was greater than could be provided due to the fuel loss through the engine fuel sump drain. With a fuel/air ratio inadequate to sustain combustion the engine failed to continue to produce power.
The aircraft logbooks and visual inspection indicate the aircraft was airworthy at the time of the incident.
Weather was not a factor in this incident.
The instructor and student actions are not considered to have contributed to this incident as the engine sump drain was not leaking fuel during the preflight inspection after sampling fuel in accordance with fit normal procedures.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2013, AT OR ABOUT 07:48 EDT, N637FT, AN FIT AVIATION, LLC, PIPER WARRIOR III, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AT AN ESTIMATED ALTITUDE OF 50 FEET AGL WHILE DEPARTING RUNWAY 5 AT THE MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MLB), MELBOURNE, FLORIDA. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES IN A GRASSY AREA EAST OF THE RUNWAY 5 CENTERLINE AND EAST OF THE RUNWAY 9R DEPARTURE END ON A NORTHEAST HEADING.
FIRST RESPONDER, MELBOURNE AIRPORT OPERATIONS MANAGER CLIFFORD GRAHAM, WHO WITNESSED THE INCIDENT WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF RUNWAY 5, STATED THAT FUEL WAS POURING OUT OF A LINE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE AIRPLANE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE POWER OFF LANDING. THE FUEL FLOW WAS STOPPED BY THE INSTRUCTOR WHO LANDED THE AIRPLANE.
THE FIT INSTRUCTOR AND AN FIT STUDENT WERE THE ONLY OCCUPANTS ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT INDICATED THAT EVERYTHING PRIOR TO THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER APPEARED TO BE NORMAL. SUBSEQUENT TO THE POWER OFF LANDING BOTH THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE FUEL SUMP WAS LEAKING FUEL. FUEL DRAINING FROM THE ENGINE SUMP DRAIN DURING THE AIRPLANE?S OPERATION PRIOR TO THE POWER OFF LANDING WAS EVIDENT AS INDICATED BY BLUE FUEL DYE STAINS ON THE COWLING, FUSELAGE, AND WING.
INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE FUEL SUMP VALVE REVEALED THAT THE SUMP VALVE WAS CATCHING ON THE ENGINE COWLING WHICH PREVENTED THE VALVE FROM CLOSING AFTER SAMPLING FUEL. INSPECTION OF THE RUN-UP AREA WHERE THE RUN-UP WAS COMPLETED REVEALED EVIDENCE OF AVIATION FUEL STAINING ON THE ASPHALT. THE TIE DOWN SPOT WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS ORIGINALLY PARKED HAD A LARGE FUEL STAIN, APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET BY 10 FEET, RUNNING FROM WHERE THE ENGINE SUMP DRAIN WAS LOCATED TOWARD A STORM DRAIN.
A REVIEW OF THE FIT NORMAL PROCEDURES CHECKLIST REVEALED THAT THE COCKPIT PREPARATION CHECKLIST READS; FUEL SELECTOR?TURN OFF TO VERIFY OPERATION. THE PIPER, PA-28-161, WARRIOR III, PREFLIGHT CHECK, COCKPIT CHECKLIST DOES NOT INCLUDE THIS STEP/PROCEDURE. THIS ADDED PROCEDURAL STEP PREVENTS THE ENGINE FUEL SUMP FROM BEING PROPERLY SAMPLED. FURTHERMORE, IF THE SUMP DRAIN IS NOT PROPERLY CLOSED AFTER FUEL SAMPLING THE OPENED DRAIN MAY NOT BE DETECTED PRIOR TO REENTERING THE COCKPIT FOR FLIGHT.
ONCE AIRBORNE WITH MAXIMUM ENGINE POWER FOR TAKEOFF THE ENGINE FUEL DEMAND WAS GREATER THAN COULD BE PROVIDED DUE TO THE FUEL LOSS THROUGH THE ENGINE FUEL SUMP DRAIN. WITH A FUEL/AIR RATIO INADEQUATE TO SUSTAIN COMBUSTION THE ENGINE FAILED TO CONTINUE TO PRODUCE POWER.
THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS AND VISUAL INSPECTION INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT WAS AIRWORTHY AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT.
THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT ACTIONS ARE NOT CONSIDERED TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT AS THE ENGINE SUMP DRAIN WAS NOT LEAKING FUEL DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AFTER SAMPLING FUEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH FIT NORMAL PROCEDURES.
Other reports on N637FT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.