Accident Overview
On October 17, 2009, at 1913 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32-260, registration N3357W, was destroyed during a forced landing and subsequent post-impact fire near Peoria, Illinois. The pilot, who was not injured, performed the forced landing after experiencing a loss of engine power. The cross-country flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
Flight Details
The flight departed Greater Peoria Regional Airport (PIA), Peoria, Illinois, approximately eight minutes before the accident. The intended destination was DuPage Airport (DPA), West Chicago, Illinois. The pilot was on a three-leg cross-country flight. The first leg from DPA to Quad City International Airport (MLI), Moline, Illinois, and the second leg from MLI to PIA were uneventful, with flight times of 55 and 40 minutes, respectively.
Sequence of Events
Shortly after takeoff from PIA, while climbing through about 3,800 feet mean sea level (msl), the engine began running rough and then partially lost power. The pilot immediately applied carburetor heat, but it had no effect. He set the mixture control to rich, turned on the electric fuel pumps, and switched fuel tanks. At approximately 3,000 feet msl, the engine “went quiet.” The pilot’s attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful, and he executed a forced landing onto a road about seven miles north-northeast of PIA. During the approach, the right main landing gear struck a traffic light, resulting in a hard landing. A post-impact fire ensued, and the pilot evacuated the airplane without injury.
Post-Accident Examination
A post-accident examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a pre-impact failure or malfunction. Internal engine continuity was confirmed via crankshaft rotation, and compression was obtained at all cylinders. The magnetos and carburetor exhibited thermal damage consistent with the post-impact fire, but teardown examinations did not reveal any anomalies. The air intake appeared unobstructed; the throttle valve was intact and in the full open position at the time of the exam. The spark plugs were intact and operational. The engine-driven fuel pump was damaged and could not be operationally tested, while the electric fuel pumps operated when electrical power was applied. The fuel selector valve moved freely between all four tanks and appeared set to the right wing tip fuel tank at the time of the examination. Functional testing of the fuel selector did not reveal any anomalies.
Fuel System Information
The pilot stated that he departed DPA initially with full fuel and estimated that 65 gallons remained at the time of the accident takeoff. The pilot/operator report noted that fuel was being used from the right inboard tank shortly prior to the loss of engine power. The airplane’s fuel system comprised four tanks: left and right main wing tanks (25-gallon capacity each) and left and right wing tip tanks (17-gallon capacity each). The airplane manual indicated that fuel consumption at 75-percent power would be about 14.1 gallons per hour, and the flight manual stated that fuel in the main tanks should be used before the wing tip tanks.