The pilot stated he had an uneventful cross-country flight and on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern at the airport in Salisbury, N.C., he switched the fuel selector from the right tank to the left tank and turned on the boost pump.
While on short final approach, the engine started losing power as the Piper PA-32RT-300T was about 75 feet above ground level. The plane subsequently hit terrain about 600 feet short of the runway and came to rest upright.
The pilot reported that at the time of the engine power loss, he pushed all the controls, mixture, propeller, and throttle, full forward and the engine rpm started to increase, but then quickly decreased again.
He then shut off the master switch and walked to the FBO to get help. He then walked back to the airplane, shut the ignition off and took his keys and headset out of the airplane. He added he did not touch the fuel selector.
Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed damage to the wings, landing gear, and stabilator. The inspector also noted that although adequate fuel remained in both fuel tanks, the airplane fuel selector was in the “off” position.
Probable cause: The pilot’s inadvertent switching of the fuel selector to the “off” position on final approach, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
NTSB Identification: ERA16CA011
This October 2015 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Two places that I don’t think are a good place to mess with the fuel selector:
1. Just before takeoff. (it should be done before or just after start-up.
2. In the pattern.
Agree with the previous comments about maintaining sufficient altitude.
14 CFR 91.119: Minimum Safe Altitudes: General, Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes: (a) Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.
You can break that law, but you can’t break the law of gravity.
IMHO if you are in the pattern you should be able to glide to the runway in the event of power loss. Here he was at 75 ft agl when the engine quit and he hit the ground 600 ft from the approach end. That is a mighty shallow approach. Today I was at two different airports where tower extended my downwind leg and had the engine quit I would have been in the weeds. But absent ATC intervention if you are in the pattern you should be able to reach the runway.
This is a theme we have unfortunately heard before – selecting the OFF position instead of the fuller tank. Agree with Wylbur – change tanks sooner and higher, pay attention to the fuel selector control, and I want to add ALWAYS take a few seconds to verify continued fuel pressure. If any problem, the often recommended procedure is to undo what you just did. With this model, a change in tank is the first item on the general restart checklist. In aircraft where one tank has to be selected, and I have a power loss, I have already decided ahead of time that I will switch tanks in the next couple of seconds.
Even when the checklist is followed correctly, there are situations where one is left vulnerable. Some models have fuel injection systems where takeoffs and landings are done on the engine driven fuel pump with the auxiliary pump off (fuel-injected Cessna’s and best I can remember some Beechcraft models). With an engine driven fuel pump failure on takeoff or landing, there may not be time to follow the checklist, which for both the C172R and C172S, the boost pump is the fourth item on the restart checklist. So for those models, I decided that if I had an engine power loss issue particularly in those two vulnerable places, without question I would have the electric fuel boost pump on within the next couple of seconds. Taking the runway (or landing as appropriate), I say to myself electric fuel pump on if loss of power airborne and insufficient runway for landing. Of course the problem may be elsewhere and completing the checklist as soon as possible is important, but the other controls (mags, mixture, prop, throttle, even in partial positions) are less likely to be the problem. In fact, going to full throttle with the fuel at OFF or on an empty tank may delay a restart because more air may be pulled into the fuel line. Switching tanks was put at the top of the list for a good reason. On carburetor engines the carb heat is the control I pull immediately if any power issue (aircraft control is in general first priority of course).
Pilot error is pilot error. Little else need be said.
It is easy to be an armchair quarterback. However, I fly a Lance on a regular basis. I thought this might be a good time to point out some lessons learned on how to NOT get into this condition and perhaps save someone else from this kind of situation/problem.
One needs to make the change to the more full tank before entering the pattern while one has time and altitude. Then one must verify the setting of the selector using the Mark I eyeball, especially when doing a switch to the left (where OFF is). This is true for any of the large Cherokee platforms (six, Lance, Saratoga). With a six you could end up on an empty tip tank as well, so verify that selector setting.
All levers forward should be done upon entry to the pattern (or no later than FAF if IFR). If others are in the pattern, then before one enters the pattern so one can slow down and fly 90Kts on downwind.
In this configuration should that engine quit, PULL THE PROP. You will increase your glide noticeably, and you will be close to best glide with gear and flaps already down. Practice the CPL 180 Emergency landing, it will save your life should you ever lose that engine in the pattern.
One other trick I use is to fly a visual glide slope high with any Hershey Bar wing aircraft. Example, 4 light system, 3 lights white and one red until one KNOWS they have the runway made.
You only need to have a CFI pull the power on you in the pattern once to become a believer.
Ugh; hate the 1950’s “Mark I eyeball” expression. I’m 60 years old and that predates me.
Other than that, I enjoyed reading your comment.