Piper PA-32-260 N7748J accident near Millington, Tennessee

Probable cause

The pilots’ fuel mismanagement during the cross-country flight and incorrect fuel tank selection for the landing approach, which resulted in fuel starvation, a momentary loss of engine power, and collision with terrain short of the runway.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor and private pilot initiated a round-trip, cross-country flight. The first leg of the trip was uneventful, and at the intermediate airport, the fuel tanks were topped off for the return flight. While on final approach at the destination airport, the engine lost total power. The private pilot, who was the pilot flying, switched the fuel selector from the left main tank to the left tip tank and continued to maintain glide airspeed. Shortly after the fuel tank selector was moved, engine power began increasing; however, nearly simultaneously with this restoration of power, the airplane impacted terrain about 900 ft short of the runway threshold. The fuselage and wings sustained substantial damage.

The flight instructor reported that fuel was drawn from the left and right main tanks throughout the flight, and the tip tanks were not used before the loss of engine power. The instructor recalled that, during the approach, the left and right main tanks indicated a little less than 10 gallons, and the tip tanks were indicating full; however, the fuel gauges were bobbing throughout the flight.

No fuel was observed in either the left main tank or left tip tank at the accident site. About 15 gallons of fuel was drained from the right wingtip tank and about 3 gallons were drained from the right main tank.

Examination of the airplane and engine found no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Examination of the fuel system revealed no evidence of blockages. The left main tank was evaluated for any evidence of leakage, and none was observed. The left wingtip tank sustained impact damage and was breached near the leading edge, which likely allowed for its contents to leak at the accident site. The right main and wingtip tanks were undamaged.

The airplane owner’s manual stated the pilot should, “Avoid switching tanks at low altitude since little recovery time is available in event of an error in tank selection. To preclude making a hasty decision, and to provide continuity of flow, the selector should be changed before fuel is exhausted from the tank in use.” The owner’s manual further stated that, “The main or tip tank with the highest quantity of fuel should be selected for landing.”

It is likely that the pilots’ fuel management during the nearly 2 hour and 30-minute flight resulted in the exhaustion of the left tank fuel supply on final approach at low altitude. Had the tank with the highest quantity of fuel been selected for landing, as recommended by the owner’s manual, the fuel starvation, and subsequent momentary loss of engine power, would have been avoided.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA24LA054 for the full record.