Accident Summary
On April 15, 2008, approximately 0820 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-30, registration N8442Y, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Holbrook, Arizona. The private pilot sustained serious injuries, and the pilot-rated passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was operated by Environmental Technology Inc., Phoenix, Arizona, under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country personal flight, which originated from Mesa, Arizona, approximately 50 minutes before the accident. A flight plan had not been filed, but the pilot reported that his destination was Holbrook, Arizona.
Pilot and Passenger Statements
The pilot stated, in his initial interview and written statement, that the two main fuel tanks were "full to the bottom of the fill cap and the two inboard tanks had approximately 8 gallons in each side." Approximately 40 minutes into the flight, while descending toward their destination, the right engine lost power. The pilot reported, "I did not immediately feather the prop and shut down the engine because it appeared to be a fuel starvation problem and I thought I could probably get the engine started again." While attempting to restart the right engine without success, the left engine lost power. Due to low altitude, the pilot decided to land the airplane in a field.
The pilot-rated passenger reported that the forced landing was well controlled, but the gear-up touchdown was hard and the terrain was very rough. The airplane's empennage was bent down, and the nose was wrinkled up and back at the forward door support.
Aircraft Examination and Fuel System Details
The aircraft salvage team personnel who recovered the airplane reported that they drained 27 gallons of fuel from each of the main tanks. Both auxiliary and wing tip tanks were empty. The right side fuel selector was located at 12 o'clock (between the MAIN and AUX positions), and the left side fuel selector was found at 3 o'clock, which is the cross-feed position.
Postaccident examination by an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the fuel lines leading to the engines were dry. The right engine crankshaft's flange was bent, but a test run of the left engine was successful.
According to the aircraft's Service Manual, each wing had a main inboard fuel tank that held 30 gallons (27 usable), an auxiliary outboard fuel tank that held 15 gallons, and a wing tip tank that held 15 gallons. Each engine's fuel selector is labeled LEFT and RIGHT at their 12 o'clock location. The MAIN tank selection points inboard: left selector at 1:30 position, right selector at 10:30 position. AUX tank selection points outboard: left selector at 10:30, right selector at 1:30. The AUX selected position states "LEVEL FLT. ONLY." A separate switch operates an electrically actuated valve for wing tip fuel to drain into the main tank.
The owner of the airplane noted that the pilot had substantial time in Cessna 421s, which have differently operating fuel tank selectors. In a Cessna 421, the left engine's main tank selection is at 10:30 and the right engine's main tank selection is at 1:30. The owner believes the pilot improperly positioned the fuel selectors on the aux tanks instead of the main tanks. The pilot reported 3,478 hours in multi-engine airplanes, with 12 hours in the make and model involved in the accident. An FAA inspector reported that the pilot stated he had difficulty viewing the fuel selectors on the floor between the seats.