Incident Overview
On November 5, 2016, at about 1500 central standard time, a Piper Arrow II airplane, registration N300KP, encountered an engine hesitation when the pilot added power during short final approach to Watertown Municipal Airport (RYV), Watertown, Wisconsin. The airplane subsequently landed short of the runway. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Wisconsin Aviation, Watertown, under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane departed RYV about 1400 and no flight plan was filed.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that upon returning to the airport after a local flight, he heard another aircraft in the left traffic pattern. He remained high when he entered the downwind leg because he had lost sight of the other aircraft. He switched the fuel selector to the left fuel tank and turned the electric auxiliary fuel pump on. To help locate the other aircraft, he "slipped" the airplane for "a while" by applying "left rudder only," but then realized he was still too high. He reduced the power to idle and glided from the downwind position to final. On final, seeing the airplane was going to be too low, he added power, but the engine "failed to respond." The pilot cycled the fuel pump switch off then back on, and the "engine surged." The airplane struck treetops, the engine "sputtered," and the airplane landed short of the runway.
After landing, the propeller continued to rotate, and the pilot switched the fuel selector to the right fuel tank. He taxied the airplane to the tarmac without further incident.
Preflight and Postaccident Examination
The pilot reported that during his preflight inspection, he drained fuel from all fuel drains and did not observe any contaminants or debris. Both fuel tanks were nearly full at departure. The accident was not reported to the NTSB until 30 days after the accident, and the fuel quantity could not be verified.
During a postaccident engine and airframe examination at an aircraft maintenance facility, the engine was run and all systems operated normally. The engine ran on both the right and left fuel tanks. A visual inspection of the engine and its systems showed no defects.
Relevant Manual Excerpts
The Piper Arrow II Pilot's Operating Manual, in its Operating Tips section, states in part: "The shape of the wing fuel tanks is such that in certain maneuvers the fuel may move away from the tank outlet. If the outlet is uncovered, the fuel will be interrupted and a temporary loss of power may result." It further advises avoiding prolonged slips or skids resulting in excess of 2,000 feet of altitude loss or other radical maneuvers that could uncover the fuel outlet when the tank being used is not full.
The Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular (AC) 90-66A discusses recommended traffic pattern practices at airports without operating control towers, noting that arriving aircraft should be at the appropriate traffic pattern altitude before entering the pattern and that entry to the downwind leg should be at a 45-degree angle abeam the midpoint of the runway.