Piper PA28 N2250S accident near Grass Valley, California

Probable cause

A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and the pilot's mismanagement of the available fuel.

NTSB analysis

The accident flight was the student pilot’s first solo cross-country flight; the intended route of flight included stops at five airports along the route. Prior to departure, the pilot confirmed the left fuel tank was full, and the right fuel tank contained about 17 gallons. The airplane was not refueled during the cross-country flight. The pilot stated she flew with the left fuel tank selected until the final leg of the trip. She report that, after departure from the last airport, she switched to the right fuel tank. When the airplane was about 5 miles from Grass Valley Airport (GOO), at an altitude of about 5,000 ft above ground level (agl), the engine started to sputter. The pilot attempted, unsuccessfully, to restart the engine and she contacted the air traffic control tower at GOO to report an engine failure. She was cleared to land; however, the airplane was at an altitude of 3,200 feet agl and continuing to lose altitude. When she realized the airplane would not make it to the airport, she performed a forced landing to an open field. During the landing, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the right wing was damaged.

After the accident, 17 gallons of fuel were removed from the right-wing fuel tank and the left-wing fuel tank was empty. Because the amount of fuel in the right fuel tank after the accident was the same as before takeoff and the pilot stated she flew most of the flight with the left fuel tank selected, it is likely that, despite her report of switching to the right fuel tank, the left tank remained selected, and its fuel supply was exhausted. Other than the absence of fuel, no anomalies were noted with the engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR19LA003 for the full record.