ATL99LA008

On October 10, 1998, at 1641 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N21491, collided with the ground, during an emergency landing near Spartanburg, South Carolina. The personal flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. A review of weather data from the nearest reporting facility disclosed that visual weather condition prevailed at the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane at the accident site disclosed that the airplane sustained substantial airframe damage. The private pilot and three passengers were not injured. The flight departed from Fort Payne, Alabama, at 1500.

According to the pilot, when the flight was approximately 11 miles from of Spartanburg, South Carolina, the airplane's left fuel gauge began to bounce between four and eight gallons. The pilot then switched the fuel selector valve to the right tank. After five to ten seconds, the engine began to sputter and a loss of engine power was noticed. The pilot immediately switched the fuel selector back to the left tank, pushed throttle and mixture back to full forward, and turned the fuel pump on. When it was determined that engine power could not be regained, the pilot elected to land the airplane in a field. The pilot initially chose to land on a road, but with the engine power regained momentarily, he aborted the landing and began a climbing left turn. As the turn was completed, the engine once again lost power and the pilot put the aircraft down in a field. After traveling approximately 130 feet from the touch down point, the airplane struck a fence and continued to travel another 180 feet. There were no injuries to either the pilot or his wife and two children.

When the inlet fuel line was examined by the FAA inspector, it contained approximately a teaspoon of fuel. The engine was run subsequent to the accident. The engine ran smooth and developed power at 1500 RPM for approximately five minutes. When the throttle was advanced and retarded, the engine did not seem to lag or stumble.

Examination of the airplane disclosed that the left wing had a fence post protruding from the leading edge approximately 2/3 of the way outboard of the fuselage. There was an entry hole through the outer skin under the pilot's seat where a fence post had entered and exited through the same hole. The post did not enter the cabin. The left fuel tank was ruptured by a fence post and leaked the remaining fuel. The right landing was torn from the airframe and the right horizontal stabilizer spar was also broken 2/3 of its length outboard of the fuselage.

The emergency procedure section of the Piper Archer Pilots Operating Manual states that, "If engine failure was caused by fuel exhaustion, power will not be regained after tanks are switched until empty fuel lines are filled, which may require up to ten seconds."