On May 4, 2019, about 1100 Eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200 airplane, N2134T, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Bartow, Florida. The flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight proceeded south to their normal practice area. Steep turns, slow flight and stalls were performed. Subsequently, they proceeded north to intercept the initial approach fix. According to the flight instructor, as they flew toward the initial approach fix for a simulated instrument approach at BOW, the engine experienced a power fluctuation. The flight instructor switched tanks and turned on the fuel pump but shortly thereafter, the engine began to “sputter.” He therefore decided to land at Winter Haven Regional Airport (GIF) Winter Haven, Florida, but was unable to make it to the runway. A forced landing was accomplished to an open field, about 2 miles northeast from GIF. During the landing sequence, the airplane’s left wing sustained substantial damage when the landing gear struck a rut in the field. Examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have prevented the normal production of power.
The airplane was secured for an engine run. The airplane’s battery was charged, and a fuel source was secured to the right tank fuel line leading into the fuel selector. The engine started uneventfully but subsequently surged and stopped. An external fuel tank was then secured inside the cockpit to manually pump the primer ball and allow pressure in the system. The ball was pumped four times and fuel was observed leaking out of the top two vents (weep holes) in the fuel selector. There were no fuel stains or evidence of a fuel leak observed on the fuel selector valve before the engine run.
The fuel selector was removed, and the external fuel source was connected directly to the fuel line past where the fuel selector would be situated. The engine was started and run at various low to medium power settings, with no anomalies noted.
The fuel selector was removed for pressure tests and examination. The pressure bench checks of the fuel selector valve were accomplished in accordance with Piper Service Letter No. 1273, dated March 29, 2021, which provided instructions for a recurring bench check of the valve. The airplane’s fuel valve was pressurized to the appropriate psi and checked for evidence of leaks. The valve passed the test, and no leaks were observed. The second pressure test was accomplished with valve’s left and right outlet ports capped. A relatively small amount of fuel leaked around the shaft when it was positioned to the off position. However, when positioned to the left or right positions, a substantial fuel leak occurred. Another exemplar fuel valve was tested in a similar manner and no leaks were observed.
The fuel valve was disassembled to examine the housing, shaft, and O-rings, for any potential damage or wear. No corrosion or damage was observed to the housing or shaft. The microscopic examination of the four O-rings revealed that the No. 3 and No. 4 O-rings appeared to have frictional interactions with the inner surface of the housing bore. Additionally, the No. 1 and No. 2 O-rings exhibited wear on the surfaces in contact with the inner surface of the housing bore. No additional anomalies were noted.