What happened
The aircraft was cleared for landing by Roanoke Tower. During the approach, the pilot reduced engine power to idle as expected. However, the engine had already stopped running due to fuel starvation. The pilot did not notice the loss of power until he attempted to apply throttle on short final, at which point the engine failed to respond. Consequently, the aircraft impacted the ground short of runway 33.
The investigation
Post-accident examination revealed that the left fuel tank was completely empty. The fuel selector switch was found in the position corresponding to the left tank, confirming that no fuel had been drawn from the other available tank during the flight.
Findings
The pilot admitted that he forgot to switch fuel tanks during the flight. This oversight led to fuel exhaustion of the selected tank while the aircraft was on approach. The lack of fuel supply caused the engine to quit, preventing the pilot from maintaining altitude or completing the landing safely. The accident resulted in 1 fatal injury.
Safety message
Pilots must diligently monitor fuel quantities and switch tanks at appropriate intervals to prevent exhaustion during critical phases of flight.