What happened
On April 27, 2020, at 17:35 CDT, a Piper PA-32RT-300, registration N772SG, was on final approach to runway 36 near Meridianville, Alabama, under visual meteorological conditions with 10 statute mile visibility. The pilot determined the aircraft was too high and too fast for the approach. To correct the flight path, the pilot reduced engine power to idle and executed a left forward slip for approximately five seconds.
Upon attempting to apply power to arrest the descent rate, the engine failed to respond. The pilot checked the fuel pump and cycled the throttle but was unable to restore power, leading to a forced landing in a field approximately 1,600 feet short of the runway threshold. The pilot sustained one minor injury, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage and found the aircraft remained intact and upright after the impact. Both wings sustained substantial damage. During the recovery process, 7 gallons of fuel were removed from the right tank and 25 gallons were removed from the left tank. The fuel selector valve was found set to the right tank.
Post-accident examination of the engine showed it could be started and run at idle power twice, with no mechanical anomalies noted. The pilot suggested that the fuel uptake may have been unported during the slip maneuver, noting that no mechanical failures had occurred prior to the power loss.