Piper
Inadequate Fuel Planning Causes Piper PA-24 Emergency Landing In Florida
Inadequate fuel planning before a cross-country trip led to fuel exhaustion, a power loss, and a forced landing in a sugar cane field, according to a published accident report.
General Aviation News reported on an incident involving a Piper PA-24 aircraft that suffered an engine power loss during the return leg of a cross-country flight. The pilot had completed the first leg without incident, operating for one hour and 45 minutes, and did not refuel before taking off again. Approximately one hour and 18 minutes into the return trip, the engine RPM dropped to between 1,000 and 1,200.
After noticing the partial power reduction, the aviator performed checklist procedures for partial power loss and contacted air traffic control to declare an emergency. Power came back briefly before dropping again. With the nearest airport too far away, the pilot landed the aircraft in a sugar cane facility near Moore Haven, Florida. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors went to the site to inspect the wreckage, noting substantial damage to the airframe.
An examination of the fuel system revealed that the main and auxiliary wingtip tanks held no quantifiable fuel. Inspectors found no ruptures in the main tanks and no signs of external leakage. The fuel strainer was intact but empty. Investigators prepared the engine for a test run following recovery, and it started on the first try, reaching 2,000 rpm before the run concluded. Impact damage to the propeller stopped a higher rpm test. Water leak checks on the tanks showed no leaks.
The pilot stated that the main tanks received 8.7 gallons of fuel prior to the initial leg, and that they were previously filled 26 days before the accident, after which his son flew three touch-and-go landings. Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast data showed the aircraft flew for one hour and two minutes and taxied for 18 minutes, burning an estimated 15 gallons. The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause was the pilot's failure to start the trip with enough fuel, resulting in power loss and a forced landing from fuel exhaustion. The pilot's operating handbook notes that fuel cells frequently fail to hold their full rated capacity due to multiple factors, and investigators concluded the pilot likely perceived the tanks to be full when they were not.
Sources: General Aviation News