Accident Overview
On September 15, 2014, at about 1030 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, registration N15833, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees and terrain following a total loss of engine power while maneuvering for landing at Albert Whitted Airport (SPG), St. Petersburg, Florida. The airplane was operated by a private individual under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
Flight History
The flight originated from Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH), Tallahassee, Florida, about 0830. According to the pilot, a few days prior he completed a check-ride in the accident airplane. On the day before the accident, the airplane was fueled with almost 40 gallons of fuel at Pensacola International Airport (PNS), Pensacola, Florida, prior to a flight to TLH that landed the previous evening. On the morning of the accident, the pilot completed the pre-flight checklist and was comfortable that the fuel was sufficient for the flight to SPG. During enroute flight, he followed normal leaning procedures using the exhaust gas temperature gauge. As they neared the destination, the pre-landing checklist was completed and the left fuel tank was selected as it was the fuller tank. About 350 feet above ground level, the throttle was advanced to reduce the rate of descent, at which time the engine was not operating. The pilot reported his next recollection was being conscious in the airplane after impact.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot, age 48, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land issued August 29, 2014, based on his British pilot license. He also held a second-class medical certificate issued June 29, 2014, with no limitations. He reported 260 total flight hours but did not specify the amount in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot-rated passengers in the left front and right rear seats were licensed pilots in the United Kingdom, but no FAA certificates were located at the time of the accident.
The four-seat, low-wing, fixed-gear airplane was manufactured in 1972 (serial number 28-7305158). It was powered by a Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180-hp engine driving a Hartzell fixed-pitch propeller. An annual inspection was completed on November 8, 2013, at a tachometer reading of 4372.16 hours, with engine time since major overhaul of 441.2 hours. The tachometer at the accident site indicated 4418.25 hours.
Wreckage and Fuel Analysis
The airplane came to rest upright on the nose and right main landing gear in a neighborhood park. The left wing was impact-separated and located near initial tree strikes. Flight control continuity was confirmed to the elevator from the control column. The wing flaps were in the full extended position. The fuel selector valve was selected to the left fuel tank. The left wing fuel tank was intact and contained about 12 ounces of fuel; the right wing tank contained about 80 ounces. No vegetation blight was observed except for a 6-inch circle near the initial ground impact location.
A camera found in the wreckage contained two video files, but audio enhancement produced no usable conversation information. A photograph from one occupant's camera showed a GPS groundspeed of 95 knots, altitude 2,000 feet above mean sea level, 26.2 miles from the destination airport, and fuel quantity gauges indicating approximately 5 gallons in the left wing and no fuel in the right wing.
Fuel records at TLH showed no fuel purchase after arrival on September 14, 2014. However, a fuel ticket from a fixed base operator at PNS, time-stamped September 14, 2014, at 1506, indicated 39.8 gallons were purchased, which topped off the fuel tanks according to FBO personnel. The airplane's fuel capacity is 50 gallons (48 usable). Cruise fuel consumption varies between 8.1 and 10.5 gallons per hour depending on power setting and lean procedures. The fuel required for taxi, takeoffs, climbs, and landing approach for the two flights was not computed. The airplane had flown approximately 4 hours since being fueled, but the investigation could not conclusively determine altitude, route, or power settings for either flight.