Piper PA-32-300 N561PK accident near Snohomish, Washington

Probable cause

The total loss of engine power during takeoff due to fuel starvation and the pilot’s improper fuel tank selection and inadequate preflight inspection.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he had flown about 10 minutes from one airport to another and, after landing, the engine “hiccuped” like it was it was losing power and then “revved up.” The pilot turned the fuel pump off and back on, and the engine seemed to clear up. The pilot performed an uneventful engine runup and elected to conduct a short-field takeoff. As the airplane climbed through about 700 ft mean sea level (msl), the engine began to surge, followed by a total loss of engine power. The pilot attempted to land on a nearby road; however, he realized he was unable to reach it and instead landed in an open field, which resulted in substantial damage to the engine mount.

The pilot reported that before the flight, the owner of the airplane sent him a text message telling him that the fuel selector valve was on the left tip tank. The pilot didn’t believe that to be an issue; however, he could not remember if he put the selector valve on the left main fuel tank or not. The owner of the airplane estimated that the left tip tank had about 4 gallons of fuel in it when he put the airplane in the hangar.

Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. During the examination, the left-wing auxiliary fuel tank was found void of fuel. It’s likely that while the pilot conducted his preflight, he inadvertently positioned the fuel selector to the left wing tip tank position.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR22LA204 for the full record.