No fatalities

2 Aug 2012: PIPER PA-22-160 — Aaron M. Andrus — McKinleyville, CA

McKinleyville, CA, United States

On 2 Aug 2012, a PIPER PA-22-160 operated by Aaron M. Andrus was involved in an aviation accident near McKinleyville, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Fuel starvation. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot on his first cross-country flight in a newly acquired airplane experienced engine power loss due to fuel starvation after the fuel selector remained on the left tank. A forced landing resulted in damage to the fuselage and wings.

Background

The pilot had recently acquired the airplane and was conducting his first cross-country flight in it. He had accumulated a total flight time of approximately 150 hours, with only 5 hours of experience in the accident make and model.

Accident

During the flight, the pilot did not monitor the fuel quantity in the left and right fuel tanks. He believed that the fuel selector had only a both selection, but in reality, the selector was positioned to the left tank for the entire duration of the trip. While on short final approach to his destination, the engine lost power due to fuel starvation. The pilot executed a forced landing.

Damage

The forced landing resulted in bending and wrinkling of the fuselage and wings.

Probable cause

Fuel starvation

Contributing factors

Fluid managementPilot