PRESCOTT, AZ, USA
N6303C
Piper PA-28-161
Due to a loss of engine power, the pilot made a forced landing in an open field and collided with desert shrubs before coming to rest inverted. The pilot stated that he had refueled to maximum tank capacity prior to takeoff and calculated the en route time to the planned refueling stop at 4 hours 15 minutes. He stated that he was 4 hours 10 minutes into the flight and near the refueling airport when the engine quit. He contacted the local tower and informed them that he was out of fuel and was going to try to land on a highway. He had to maneuver to avoid on-coming vehicular traffic and landed in the brush-covered field. Responding personnel did not see or smell fuel in the airplane or on the ground surrounding the airplane. Mechanical continuity was established in the engine during an examination. With the fuel pump turned on, a fuel leak was found at the fuel line fitting where it enters the carburetor. The leak rate with just the boost pump on was 1 drop per minute. Heavy fuel staining was noted on the carburetor bowl below the bowl seal gasket and around the line fitting, and on induction hoses directly below this point. The heavy and thick stain residue was consistent with a long-term leak. Review of the logbooks revealed that the engine had been reinstalled after an overhaul about 8 days prior to the accident. A remote fuel source was attached to the fuel fitting of the left wing and an engine ground run to full power was conducted with no discrepancies noted. According to the airplane manufacture, this airplane holds 48 gallons of fuel with 4 gallons unusable fuel. The range/cruise performance charts in the Airplane Flight Manual shows a Best Power fuel consumption of 9.0 gallons per hour at 65 percent power, and 10.5 gallons per hour at 75 percent power. The endurance time shown in the charts for 65 percent power is 5.5 hours.
On September 17, 2000, at 1518 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N6303C, experienced a loss of engine power and collided with ground obstructions during the forced landing 4 miles northwest of the Ernest A. Love Field Airport, Prescott, Arizona. The airplane, operated by Falcon Executive Aviation and rented by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and non-rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed the Mariposa-Yosemite Airport, Mariposa, California, at 1105 the day of the accident. An en route refueling stop was scheduled at the Prescott airport (PRC) and the flight was scheduled to terminate at Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona. In an interview with a Safety Board investigator, the pilot stated that he had flown from Falcon Field to Mariposa on September 15, 2000, and calculated his intermediate stop at Visalia, California, for refueling purposes, to be about 4 hours. At Visalia he refueled with 31 gallons and flew another hour to Mariposa. No discrepancies were noted with the flight. On the day of the accident he had the airplane topped off prior to departure. He calculated that the flight to the refueling stop at Prescott would take him 4 hours 15 minutes. After arriving in the Prescott area, the pilot informed PRC tower that he was low on fuel. About 5 minutes later, he informed the tower that he was out of fuel. He attempted to land on Highway 89; however, there was a car on the road, and he had to maneuver to make an emergency landing on Outer Loop Road in Chino Valley, Arizona. In the pilot's written statement he stated that over the Needles very high omni frequency range (VOR) he noted that the fuel gages were reading "just over 10 gallons per side." Halfway to PRC from the Needles VOR, he checked in with Albuquerque (ABQ) Center to find out what his ground speed was. Simultaneously he and his passenger noted that the fuel gage dropped from 10 gallons of fuel in one tank to "just a few gallons . . . ." The pilot stated that after he informed PRC tower that he was low on fuel, "one tank ran dry." He turned on the boost pump to "get out as much fuel as possible," which lasted for about 30 more seconds. He then switched the fuel selector to the other tank and shut the boost pump off. He informed PRC tower that one fuel tank was dry. The fuel tank that he switched to lasted about 3 minutes. He turned on the fuel boost pump and informed PRC tower that there was no more fuel. The local controller asked if he would be able to make the runway and the pilot replied negatively. The pilot was asked if he could land on a specific road, and he said that he would not be able to, but there was a road behind him that he thought he could land on. On final approach to the road, a car came on the road and he maneuvered to avoid it. The airplane hit some shrubs and the airplane came to rest inverted. The pilot stated that the accident took place 4 hours and 10 minutes after departure from Mariposa and, according to his calculations, there should have been 9 gallons of fuel onboard, plus the 4 gallons of unusable fuel. An officer from the Yavapai County Sheriff's Department interviewed the pilot. The pilot stated that after the airplane touched down it struck some shrubs. The main landing gear was sheared off of the airplane. The nose of the airplane dug into the ground and it nosed over. Responding personnel from the Prescott Fire Department stated that they did not see or smell fuel in the airplane or on the ground surrounding the airplane. The retrieval firm, Air Transport of Phoenix, Arizona, recovered the airplane on September 18, 2000. Recovery personnel stated that the area was covered in shrub brush and there was an impression of all three landing gear on the surrounding brush, as well as pieces of the navigation lights from each wing. They further noted that both wings had broken where the spar attaches to the fuselage. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION Review of the engine logbook by a Safety Board investigator revealed that the engine had been reinstalled on the airplane on September 9, 2000, after a major overhaul had been completed. In addition to the reinstallation of the engine, an annual inspection was completed. The airframe and power plant were found to be in an airworthy condition. On June 19, 2000, a new engine logbook was started for the engine because the original logbook had been lost. TESTS AND RESEARCH A power plant inspection and test run were conducted at Air Transport in Phoenix on October 11, 2000, under the supervision of a Safety Board investigator. A representative from Textron Lycoming was a party to the investigation. An external examination revealed that the electrodes on the spark plugs exhibited light ash gray coloration. The cylinder combustion chamber was inspected with a lighted boroscope. According to the engine manufacturer's representative, there was no evidence of foreign object ingestion or detonation. Both magnetos were found secured to their respective mounting pads. Magneto to engine timing was observed at 25 degrees before top dead center on the number one cylinder. Manual rotation of the crankshaft produced thumb compression in each cylinder in firing order and established mechanical continuity within the engine. A remote fuel source was attached to the fuel line of the left wing to facilitate an engine run. The cockpit-mounted switch for the electric fuel pump was engaged and fuel pressure was observed at the fuel gage. A visual examination of the engine revealed that fuel was leaking from the carburetor fuel line fitting at the rate of 1 drop per minute. Fuel dye staining was evident on the outside of the carburetor and on the induction hoses directly below this point. The staining was a dark blue color and the residue deposit heavy. The engine was started utilizing the airplane manufacturer's checklist and a warm-up period was allowed. After the warm-up period the throttle was advanced and the engine was observed to run smooth with no mechanical anomalies noted. The engine was then run at full power, 2,700 rpm, utilizing the engine driven fuel pump. No mechanical anomalies were noted with the engine. According to the airplane manufacturer, this airplane holds 48 gallons of fuel with 4 gallons being unusable fuel. The range/cruise performance charts in the Airplane Flight Manual show a Best Power fuel consumption of 9.0 gallons per hour at 65 percent power, and 10.5 gallons per hour at 75 percent power. The endurance time shown in the charts for 65 percent power is 5.5 hours.
An improper engine installation by other maintenance personnel that resulted in a fuel leak at the main fuel line fitting to the carburetor and subsequent fuel exhaustion during cruise flight.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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