Piper PA24 N6148P accident near Crewe, Virginia

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent total loss of engine power.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, after a cross-country flight, he wanted to fuel the airplane at the airport, but the fuel tanks were locked. He then flew to a nearby airport to fuel the airplane, but once over the airport, he was told via the UNICOM frequency that the airport was closed for construction and that he would not be able to land.

He returned to the departure airport, and as he reduced power and performed his "gump" check, the engine lost total power. He switched from the left fuel tank to the right fuel tank, turned the fuel pump on, and pumped the throttle to no avail. He continued downwind and abeam the runway numbers and added flaps. On base, he felt the airplane was low and decided to head straight for the runway. Near the beginning of the runway, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and landed hard. The airplane slid about 300 ft and came to rest in the grass adjacent the runway.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that he verified that the left fuel tank was completely empty. He also removed the drain plug from the carburetor, which was also empty. Additionally, the insurance adjuster reported that he looked into the fuel tanks with a scope and saw that the left fuel tank was "bone dry" and that the right tank had about 12 gallons of fuel.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA18CA574 for the full record.