Piper PA-22-150 N6076D accident near Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Probable cause

The student pilot's inadvertent movement of the fuel selector to the OFF position, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot stated that he and a flight instructor departed on a local area instructional flight with about 28 gallons of fuel, enough for 3 or more hours of flying. With the fuel selector on the left fuel tank, they performed various training maneuvers and flew to a nearby airport where they switched to the right fuel tank. They performed three full-stop landings before returning to the practice area. After about 1 hour of flight time, they entered the traffic pattern on the downwind to base leg and switched the fuel selector back to the left fuel tank before beginning their final approach. On the final leg of the traffic pattern, they elected to perform a go-around and added full power; however, the engine lost all power without warning. Too low to troubleshoot, the instructor took the flight controls and performed a forced landing in a corn field, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. As fuel leaked down from the right tank, the student pilot and flight instructor evacuated. The student reported that, during the egress, he turned off the electrical master switch off and switched the fuel tank into the 12 o’clock position.

Postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would preclude normal engine operation. The left fuel tank was compromised during impact, and about 4 gallons of fuel were drained out of the right wing tank by first responders. The student pilot’s description that he manipulated the fuel selector to the 12 o’clock position after the accident and during his egress would be consistent with him attempting to turn off fuel flow in order to mitigate the chances of a posaccident fire. However, the position of the fuel selector handle after the accident was actually the right fuel tank position. Given that the loss of engine power occurred shortly after switching fuel tanks, it is likely that the student pilot inadvertently placed the fuel selector in the OFF position during the flight, thus eventually starving the engine for fuel during the attempted go-around after the available fuel supply in the fuel system forward of the fuel selector had been exhausted. The flight instructor was likely unable to confirm the fuel selection because the selector handle was installed on the sidewall behind the student’s left leg.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA22LA425 for the full record.