The flight instructor and the student pilot were practicing touch-and-go landings in the Piper PA-38.
During the initial climb after the fourth landing, the CFI reported an emergency to air traffic control and indicated that he was going to return and land on a runway at the airport in East Haven, Connecticut. During that transmission, a stall warning horn was sounding.
The airplane then spun to the left and descended, hitting a marsh. The student was killed in the crash and the CFI seriously injured.
Damage to the airplane was consistent with it being in a left spin at impact, and the propeller displayed little damage, which is consistent with the engine not producing power at impact.
The fuel selector handle was found positioned to the right main fuel tank, however examination of the fuel selector’s polymeric insert revealed that it had fractured and was in a position that provided openings of about 20% for the right main fuel tank inlet and for the engine outlet, instead of the 100% openings that would have been present with an intact polymeric insert.
With only 20% of the normal fuel flow available, the airplane likely experienced a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
One of the pilots likely switched fuel tank positions during the previous touch-and-go landing, and the polymeric insert failed at that time.
Metallurgical examination of the fuel selector valve revealed that the lower portion of the polymeric insert exhibited fracture features consistent with rotational ductile overstress. Abrasive wear was present on the outer portion of the insert due to contact with burs on the valve housing. The wear likely took place over a period during which the fuel selector handle would have been difficult to move and excessive force would have been required to move the handle from one position to another.
Review of maintenance records did not reveal any prior anomalies with the fuel selector. The airplane maintenance manual contained instructions, applicable to 100-hour inspections, for the fuel selector to be inspected for condition, security, and operation. The instructions stated that, if the valve binds, sticks, or is otherwise difficult to operate, the fuel selector valve should be lubricated.
However, about five months had passed since the most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on the airplane. During that time, the airplane had been operated about 78 hours. The investigation could not determine the condition of the fuel selector valve at the last 100-hour inspection.
Probable cause: The failure of the fuel selector valve in a position that restricted fuel flow to the engine, resulting in a total loss of engine power during initial climb due to fuel starvation. Also causal was the operator’s failure to effectively detect and resolve the wear and progressive binding of the fuel selector valve before it failed due to excessive rotational force being applied. Contributing was the flight instructor’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during an emergency return to the airport, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin.
NTSB Identification: ERA17FA112
This February 2017 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.
Maybe everyone should be required to know and demonstrate how not to stall…ever!
There are 3 things to note from the accident docket,
https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/search/hitlist.cfm?docketID=60754&CurrentPage=1&EndRow=15&StartRow=1&order=1&sort=0&TXTSEARCHT=
1. this is another old aircraft where worn parts failed; 8,000 hrs +
2. this type of failure has happened over 60 times….where is the AD on this part.?
3. the instructor should have been able to make an off airport landing without stalling the aircraft.
I like the steel ball valve selector in my Cessna more all the time.
It will flow fuel in any position more than 45 degrees from the ‘off’ position, whether it’s at a detent or not.
A good ‘idiot proof’ design…..
One more thing on this crash…who, [ in his right mind ], hires a CFI with only 236 hours total time, and 12 hours in type .?
People who will not pay a descent wage.
I’ve read about much worse things happening with extremely experienced pilots because of complacency. Low numbers aren’t necessarily that meaningful – student pilots have one of the best (lowest) accident statistics.
The average student pilot does these days, while he, (the cfi) is working his way up into the majors. They’re everywhere.
It is always so sad to hear of loss-of-life but somehow it seems even more difficult to hear of a student that has perished.
All of us need to remind ourselves to never, unless necessary, make a critical component change when that close to the ground.
If everything is fine and you then make a change which introduces a problem, then it is usually prudent to immediately UNDO the last thing you did. Without appreciable altitude, we do not have time to undo that change, much less the aircraft have time to respond.
Rich,
CheckMate Aviation
I would like to amend what I wrote above.
Obviously, it is almost impossible to pull ANYTHING positive out of what happened but perhaps this pilot’s sacrifice can help the rest of us. It would be the greatest of tributes to that person because they just might SAVE a life, or two, or ten! Or, maybe, even mine.
If someone knows how to reach the family, perhaps we can contribute in some small way, even if to just say they will be remembered because they probably will have helped someone else.
Rich Lang
> “All of us need to remind ourselves to never, unless necessary, make a critical component change when that close to the ground.”
Yep, very well said, unless it’s carb heat lol.
Good point, that’s one of those “if necessary” times. However, I think that almost carb icing happens at a higher altitude and hopefully already addressed. I am also thinking that even if you suddenly need it that close to the ground that there might not be enough time. But, no harm in trying,
What’s a great take a way from this? Learn to fly gliders! Not only is it great fun, it will also give every pilot an expanded depth to flying.
So now, this valve should be inspected @every 25-50 hrs. Another bad hit for the reputation of the “TraumaHawk”. I just happen to like PA-38’s. They’re more roomy than a C-150/152.
OMG you are preaching to the choir! ha! 152’s are awful, unless you’re 5’6″, no more than 150 lbs.
Well, I’m 5′ 5.5″ (5’5″ is short, 5″6″ is an exaggeration) and just a tad over 150 lbs, so my 150 fits me just fine.
But you are correct – the 150 was designed when the average FAA “person” weighed 140 pounds, and people are simply bigger nowadays.
I have a friend who is 6’4″ and admits to 350 pounds and wanted to go for a ride. I didn’t want to insult him by telling him he was too heavy, but once we went out to the airport and he looked at the airplane, he realized that this was NOT going to work – he probably could not have fit in the door.
One size does NOT fit all.
He might’ve made it in a traumahawk, as long as it was at least 150hp with no cargo. LOL.