History of Flight
On October 8, 2015, about 1830 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-38-112, N4313E, operated by Asterix Aviation LLC, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain after a loss of engine power in Jasper, Georgia. The student pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local solo instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, which departed from Pickens County Airport (JZP) about 1720.
According to the student pilot's flight instructor, the student pilot was on his second supervised solo flight. The instructor reported that he saw the student pilot perform the preflight inspection and that the student pilot reported to him that 14 gallons of fuel were in the airplane. The flight instructor could not recall if he backed the student up by visually checking the fuel quantity himself and could not recall if the student used a fuel stick when checking the quantity.
The flight school's general manager, who was leaving the airport at the time, saw the flight instructor on the ramp using his mobile phone while the student performed the preflight inspection.
The flight instructor reported that, after takeoff from JZP, the student flew to the practice area and returned to the airport about an hour later. The student then performed a touch-and-go landing on runway 16. During climb after the touch-and-go, the flight instructor heard the engine suddenly stop running. The airplane then sunk down, and he saw the airplane turn to the left like the student pilot was going to return to the airport. The airplane then appeared to enter an aerodynamic stall and then spin to the left. It descended rapidly while still in the spin until it was lost from view behind trees, and the flight instructor heard the sound of impact.
Personnel Information
The student pilot, age 21, held a third-class medical with a student pilot certificate issued on August 24, 2015. He had taken his pre-solo written exam on September 11, 2015. Before the accident flight, he had accumulated 13.5 total hours of flight experience, 1.3 hours of which were in solo flight. His previous supervised solo flight had occurred on September 21, 2015. No dual instruction was logged after that date.
The flight instructor, age 31, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. He also possessed a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine and instrument airplane. He reported that, during the previous year, he had soloed 10 students, and at the time of the accident, he had accumulated about 3,400 hours of flight experience, 2,900 of which were as flight instructor.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a 2-seat, single engine, low-wing, fixed-gear monoplane of conventional metal construction. It was equipped with a 4-cylinder, air-cooled, horizontally opposed, normally aspirated, 112-horsepower Lycoming O-235-L2C engine, driving a metal, two-blade Sensenich 72CK-0-56, fixed pitch propeller. Manufactured in 1978, the airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on October 3, 2015, at which time it had accrued about 3,147 total hours of operation.
Fuel was stored in two 16-gallon (15 gallons usable) fuel tanks, giving a total capacity of 32 gallons (30 gallons usable). The fuel tank selector control had three positions: right, left, and off. A fuel quantity gauge for each tank was located adjacent to the selector. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, during preflight, the fuel quantity gauges were to be checked, the fuel tank sumps and fuel strainer were to be drained, and the fuel quantity and color were to be visually checked by opening the fuel tank caps and looking inside each tank.
The POH indicated that at a power setting of 75% the engine would consume fuel at 6.5 gallons per hour (gph), at 65% at 5.75 gph, and at 55% at 5.0 gph. At a 65% power setting, endurance would be about 4.5 hours.
Fuel receipts showed the airplane was last refueled on October 5, 2015. The aircraft flight log indicated the recording hour meter read 1,533.0 at last refueling. The airplane had been flown on four other flights before the accident flight, and when the accident occurred at an hour meter reading of 1,537.9, the airplane had been operated about 4.9 hours since last refueling.
Meteorological Information
The recorded weather at JZP at 1835, about 5 minutes after the accident, included calm winds, 10 miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 24°C, dew point 12°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.15 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest in a small, grass-covered parking area about 1,687 ft from the departure end of runway 16. The initial impact point was located 36 ft on a 252° magnetic heading from where the airplane came to rest. No discernable wreckage path existed, and numerous components were spread throughout the area.
The aft fuselage was almost completely separated from the cabin. The engine was separated from the firewall; the propeller was separated from the engine; and the wings remained attached to their fittings. Flight control examination revealed no preimpact failures or malfunctions, and control continuity was established from the rudder, elevator, and ailerons to the cockpit controls. The wing flaps were in the 34° (fully extended) position.
The master switch was in the ON position, the magneto switch in BOTH, the throttle full forward, mixture full rich, primer in and locked. The electric fuel pump was OFF. The recording hour meter indicated 1,537.9 hours. A broken fuel stick made from a wooden dowel was found in the cabin, with the airplane registration number hand-written on it, a hand-drawn graduated scale, and the words 'BOTTOM OF TANK IS 4 GAL.'
Propeller damage showed crush and compression on one side of the nose spinner. Both blades displayed minimal aft bending, minimal rotational scoring, and no leading edge gouging.
Engine examination revealed oil present in rocker boxes and galleries. Drivetrain continuity was established, valves were functional, thumb compression present, spark plugs normal, magnetos functional. The engine-driven fuel pump was functional but devoid of fuel. The carburetor was impact damaged, with no fuel staining. The fuel strainer bowl was devoid of fuel. The fuel selector valve was in the right tank position.
When fuel tank caps were opened with the airplane in its resting position (left wing parallel to ground, right wingtip about 6 ft above ground), a small amount of fuel about 1/4-inch-deep was observed in the left tank. No fuel could be observed in the right tank. After suspending the cabin section in a wings-level position, a negligible amount of fuel was present in the left tank, and about 1/2 cup in the right tank.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on the student pilot determined the cause of death as blunt trauma of the head and neck. Toxicological testing was negative for carbon monoxide, basic, acidic, and neutral drugs.
Tests and Research
Examination of the fuel provider's records revealed no evidence of contamination. The fuel met the standard specification for aviation gasoline, and all fuel samples were clear and bright. The fueling facility had provided fuel to 13 other aircraft after the accident airplane had been fueled, dispensing 330.78 gallons without any fuel-related problems reported.
Organizational and Management Information
Asterix Aviation LLC was organized on January 7, 2014, by Phobio LLC. It operated out of Pickens County Airport (JZP) and Cobb County International Airport, Kennesaw, Georgia. At the time, they employed four flight instructors and had about 44 students. The flight school had no written policies or procedures regarding fueling.