Piper PA-28-180 N818TF accident near Woodland, Tennessee

Probable cause

The student pilot’s inadequate monitoring of his fuel state during a solo training flight, which resulted in fuel starvation, a total loss of engine power, and a forced landing.

NTSB analysis

The solo-student pilot reported that, during his preflight inspection, the fuel level was “…just below the tabs in each wing.” He later reported that he took off with 24 gallons of fuel on board and the fuel capacity of the airplane was 50 gallons. Takeoff, departure, and enroute operations were uneventful. About one hour into the flight, he noted a loss of engine power. He attempted to maintain glide speed while pumping the throttle to regain power. Unable to regain power, he looked for an area to perform a forced landing. While approaching a field, the airspeed decreased to near stall speed and the airplane struck tress before reaching the open field. The airplane impacted the trees and came to rest in a nose low attitude.

An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site and confirmed that damage to the fuselage and wings was substantial. The fuel selector was on the right tank position, and the right tank was uncompromised and empty of fuel. The left tank contained about 15 gallons of fuel. The pilot later reported that he never switched from the right tank during flight, and he failed to monitor his fuel status and allowed the fuel in the right tank to “burn out.”

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA21LA273 for the full record.