Piper PA32 N8440F accident near Salisbury, North Carolina

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

NTSB analysis

The pilot departed with his passengers on a cross-country flight with the main and auxiliary fuel tanks at full capacity. About 2 hours and 18 minutes into the flight, the engine lost total power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and declared an emergency. The controller provided vectors to a nearby airport, where the airplane landed hard, resulting in substantial damage.

First responders reported that they drained about 55 gallons of fuel from the airplane after the accident and an additional, unquantified amount spilled onto the ground; however, the fuel was drained before the airplane could be examined and the amount of fuel onboard and its distribution at the time of the accident could not be confirmed. Data retrieved from an onboard engine monitoring system showed erratic fuel flow indications concurrent with a sudden decrease in exhaust gas temperatures. These erratic fuel flow indications suggest the possibility that the transducer was pulling in air due to an interruption in fuel flow, which may have been the result of fuel starvation or an introduction of air within the fuel system upstream of the transducer. The fuel lines were not tested, as they had been cut by recovery personnel.

A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no fuel in the line between the engine-driven fuel pump and the fuel servo, which typically captures and retains unused fuel destined for the engine. A subsequent engine run revealed no anomalies of the engine. Given the available information, it is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of fuel starvation; however, whether the fuel starvation was the result of fuel mismanagement or an introduction of air into the fuel system could not be determined.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR18LA194 for the full record.