Accident Details
On September 8, 2013, at approximately 1500 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, registration N7333P, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power near Woodstock, Connecticut. The private pilot incurred minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The flight departed Southbridge Municipal Airport (3B0), Southbridge, Massachusetts, and was destined for Danielson Airport (LZD), Danielson, Connecticut. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to the pilot, prior to departure, the digital fuel quantity gauges in the cockpit indicated both wing fuel tanks contained about 5 gallons each. The pilot did not visually confirm the fuel quantity, noting that the gauges "always show less than what is actually there." Approximately 4 miles from LZD, at an altitude of 2,500 feet, the pilot reported hearing something contact the propeller, then impact the windscreen. The engine began to run rough, and the pilot switched the fuel selector from the left to the right wing tank. The engine continued to run rough, then experienced a total loss of power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a cornfield, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings.
Investigation Findings
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector responded to the accident site. The airplane came to rest upright in an 8-foot-tall cornfield. When electrical power was applied, the digital fuel quantity gauges indicated 0 gallons, and no fuel was observed in either wing tank. The inspector disassembled the fuel lines from the firewall to the fuel pump and from the fuel pump to the carburetor; none contained fuel. The windscreen was broken, but no blood, feathers, or other evidence of a bird strike was observed.
Recovery personnel reported that a total of two gallons of fuel were drained from the airplane prior to its removal from the field.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating. He reported 6,500 hours of total flight experience, with 6,000 hours in the accident make and model. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued in October 2013.
The airplane was equipped with two 30-gallon wing fuel tanks, with a total usable capacity of 56 gallons. According to the pilot's operating handbook, at 75% rated horsepower, fuel consumption was approximately 14 gallons per hour. The planned flight time between 3B0 and LZD was about 10-15 minutes, a distance of approximately 18 nautical miles.
Weather Conditions
The 1452 weather observation at Windham Airport (IJD), Willimantic, Connecticut, about 15 nautical miles south of the accident site, included wind from 340 degrees at 11 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 23°C, dew point 6°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.86 inches of mercury.
Engine Test
An engine test run was performed on May 15, 2014. Fuel was plumbed to the engine forward of the electric fuel pump, and a makeshift pump provided fuel pressure for starting. The engine started and ran smoothly through the full throttle travel for about 3 minutes until the test was stopped. Cockpit instruments, including the tachometer, had been removed, so power settings could not be determined.