Accident Overview
On April 19, 2019, at approximately 1630 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-235 airplane, registration N838JH, conducted a precautionary landing at Dwight Airport (KDTG), Dwight, Illinois. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage during the landing. The flight was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
Pilot Actions and Sequence of Events
The pilot reported to the responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that while in cruise flight at 6,500 feet, the engine began to run rough. He applied carburetor heat, but the roughness continued. The pilot observed that fuel pressure was zero, so he turned on the electric boost pump, with no change. He then switched fuel tanks, after which the engine smoothed out slightly and fuel pressure increased. The pilot decided to divert to KDTG for a precautionary landing. A few minutes later, fuel pressure again dropped to zero; he switched to the left tip fuel tank, and the engine regained power momentarily. This scenario repeated: after switching tanks, power momentarily returned, so he continued switching tanks to reach the airport.
Landing and Damage
During the crosswind landing, the airplane drifted off the runway and the nose gear collapsed. Post-accident inspection revealed a collapsed nose landing gear and substantial damage to the engine mount. Fuel was found in three of the four fuel tanks.
Fuel System Examination
A mechanic and an FAA inspector examined the airplane's fuel system. Fuel did not appear to flow properly to the carburetor. The fuel line was separated upstream of the engine-driven fuel pump and the electric boost pump. Even after activation of both pumps, adequate fuel flow was not observed. A small amount of debris was found in the gascolator bowl. Both the engine-driven pump and the electric boost pump were removed from the airplane. An initial test of the engine-driven pump found it would not pump fuel. No restriction or additional anomalies were identified in the fuel system.
Component Testing
The engine-driven pump and electric boost pump were subsequently tested by the NTSB Investigator-in-Charge. When the engine-driven pump was operated by hand, suction and pressure were felt at its inlet and outlet ports. For the electric boost pump, its inlet was connected to a hose and submerged in a pail of water. A 12-volt battery was connected; the pump ran but did not draw water from the pail, only spitting a small quantity of liquid.