Overview
On August 8, 2014, at approximately 1700 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, registration N4286T, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Sulphur, Louisiana. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The accident occurred during a public use flight contracted by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary for an observation mission.
Flight History
The flight originated from Chennault International Airport (CWF) in Lake Charles, Louisiana, at 1640, with the intended destination of Orange County Airport (ORG) in Orange, Texas. Earlier that day, the pilot had flown from ORG to CWF, picked up a passenger, and then flew to an area approximately 35 miles south of CWF (Deep Lake) before returning to CWF. The pilot reported that the engine lost power about 5 minutes after departure from CWF on the accident leg. He attempted to restart the engine but the starter would not engage, necessitating a landing on a highway. During the landing, the landing gear collapsed, resulting in damage to both wings and the engine firewall.
In a separate statement, the pilot noted that the airplane departed ORG with full fuel tanks, less a small amount used during previous maintenance. He stated that the entire flight from ORG to CWF, to Deep Lake, back to CWF, and the accident leg were flown using only fuel from the left fuel tank. A GPS flight plan provided by the pilot indicated calculated fuel usage of approximately 15.4 gallons.
Fuel Examination
According to the airplane manufacturer, the Piper PA-28-180 has a total fuel capacity of 50 gallons (25 gallons in each tank), with about 3 pints of unusable fuel. A first responder, who holds an airline transport pilot certificate, examined the airplane shortly after the accident. He removed the fuel tank caps and observed no fuel in the left tank and full fuel in the right tank. The fuel selector valve in the cockpit was positioned for the left tank. No fuel was present on the ground or leaking from the airplane.
During recovery, approximately 22 gallons of fuel were drained from the right wing fuel tank and about 3 ounces from the left wing fuel tank, confirming that the left tank was nearly empty while the right tank contained ample fuel.
Engine Examination
Post-accident examination of the engine revealed that the starter operated and engaged the engine flywheel. Both magnetos produced spark on all cylinders. The carburetor air inlet was clean and unobstructed. Cylinder compression was felt during rotation of the engine on all cylinders. Due to safety concerns from the damage, an engine test run was not attempted, but no preimpact anomalies were detected.