Piper PA 30 N8488Y accident near Vaughn, New Mexico

Probable cause

The total loss of power in the right engine due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to follow the manufacturer-recommended procedure after the loss of power in the right engine.

NTSB analysis

The pilot stated that after an uneventful takeoff with a full fuel load, he proceeded to his destination. After the climb, he positioned the fuel selectors to the auxiliary tanks for about 45 minutes and then switched them back to the main fuel tank position. About 3 hours and 15 minutes into the flight, the right engine surged twice and subsequently quit producing power. He briefly tried switching to the auxiliary fuel tank, but the engine failed to restart. The pilot did not try the cross-feed selection. The pilot notified air traffic control that he was making an off-airport emergency landing because he was unable to maintain altitude and there were no nearby airports. The airplane touched down on desert terrain and during the landing roll, the right wing collided with a fence.

There was no fuel in the right main tank, minimal fuel in the right auxiliary tank, and fuel was found in the right fuel selector bowl. There was no evidence of leakage or blockage in the right fuel system. The left fuel tanks contained fuel. The manufacturer recommends that in the event of an engine emergency, the pilot should use the cross-feed option. Use of the cross-feed selection would have allowed fuel from the left-wing tanks to be fed to the right engine. It is likely that if the pilot had used the cross-feed, the right engine would have had sufficient fuel to run from the left fuel tanks.

The right engine was put on a test stand and was run at various rpms with no defects noted. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation of the right engine or fuel system.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR20LA223 for the full record.