ERA23LA232

The pilot reported that he performed a preflight inspection and observed 48 gallons of fuel in the fuel tanks before departing on the cross-country flight using fuel from the right wing fuel tank. About 30 minutes into the flight, he switched to the left wing fuel tank, and about 25 minutes later, the airplane engine lost power. He attempted to restore engine power; however, he did not move the fuel selector back to the right wing fuel tank and the engine did not regain power. The pilot attempted a forced landing to a field; however, the airplane impacted an area of pine trees before the field, resulting in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. Postaccident examination revealed that the fuel selector was positioned to the left tank, and the left wing fuel sump drain was in the open and locked position. The left wing fuel tank was mostly intact and void of fuel. Review of a photo of the airplane taken several minutes after the accident revealed fuel staining on the left flap aft of the fuel drain, consistent with fuel leakage during the flight. It is likely that when sampling the fuel from the left wing before the flight, the pilot inadvertently twisted the sump drain into the up and locked open position, allowing fuel to drain during the entire flight, resulting in fuel starvation. Had the pilot followed the emergency checklist procedures and switched to the right wing fuel tank he would have likely been able to restore power to the engine.

On May 11, 2023, about 1915 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N1347T, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Selma, Alabama. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he performed a preflight inspection and observed 48 gallons of fuel in the fuel tanks before departing St. Clair County Airport (PLR), Pell City, Alabama. He departed PLR using the right wing fuel tank and about 30 minutes into the flight to Monroeville, Alabama, he switched to the left wing fuel tank. About 25 minutes later, the airplane engine “slow(ed) to what appeared to be an idle power setting.” He turned the fuel pump on, increased mixture to full rich, and turned on the carburetor heat; however, the engine did not regain power. The airplane continued to descend and the pilot attempted a forced landing to a field; however, the airplane impacted an area of pine trees before the field. The pilot stated that the engine may have “quit” at some point before the impact and he had not attempted to switch fuel tanks when attempting to restore engine power. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the main wreckage came to rest on its left side, resting on the outboard portion of the left wing, which had fractured at the wing root. The right wing was fractured at the wing root and resting on top of the left wing. The fuselage, empennage, and wings sustained substantial damage. A postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal evidence of any mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Compression and suction were achieved on all cylinders. The throttle and mixture cables remained attached at the carburetor and moved in conjunction with movement of the controls in the cockpit. Borescope examination of the cylinders revealed no anomalies other than oil in the Nos. 2 and 4 cylinders. The spark plugs were visually examined and appeared normal. Both magnetos were tested and produced spark at all towers. A small amount of fuel was present in the carburetor float bowl. Examination of the airframe revealed that the fuel selector was positioned to the left tank. The left wing fuel sump drain was in the open and locked position and the left wing fuel tank was mostly intact and void of fuel. The right wing fuel tank, with its fuel sump drain in the closed position, was breached and void of fuel. Review of a fuel receipt revealed that 20.26 gallons of fuel were purchased on May 9, 2023, at PLR. Review of a photo provided by the owner of the airplane that was taken “minutes after” the accident revealed fuel staining on the left flap aft of the fuel drain. The first items in the emergency checklist for Engine Power Loss In-Flight in the manufacturer’s Owner’s Handbook are: 1. Fuel Selector – switch to another tank containing fuel 2. Electric Fuel Pump- ON 3. Mixture – Rich 4. Carburetor Heat – On