Piper PA-22/20 N3621Z accident near New Orleans, Louisiana

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate in-flight fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.

NTSB analysis

The pilot had just taken off and was about 400 feet above ground level when the engine began to run rough and then lose all power. The pilot switched the fuel selector from the left fuel tank to the right tank and pumped the engine primer but could not restore power. The pilot force-landed the airplane on a road. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a minivan that could not get out of the way of the airplane. A postaccident examination showed little fuel in the airplane's left fuel tank. The right fuel tank was full of fuel. The airplane’s engine and other systems showed no preimpact anomalies. The pilot said that his practice was to take off on the left tank and switch tanks once he was stable in the air. On the day of the accident, the pilot made several short flights and forgot to switch from the left tank on those flights; thus all the fuel from the left tank was used up before the accident flight.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN11FA292 for the full record.