Accident Overview
On June 26, 2020, about 2100 central daylight time, a Piper PA28R-201, registration N811MS, was substantially damaged during an accident at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC) in Broomfield, Colorado. The aircraft was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. One passenger sustained minor injuries; the private pilot and two passengers were uninjured.
Pilot Report
The pilot had departed BJC, flown to a nearby airport, and was returning when the accident occurred. He reported that his shoulder harness inertial reel had locked up twice earlier that day for no apparent reason, but he was able to free it each time. Upon returning to BJC with about 15 gallons of fuel remaining (10 in the right tank, 5 in the left), the pilot requested a touch-and-go maneuver. Shortly before turning from base to final, the shoulder harness locked again. The pilot leaned back to release it, but the belt took up slack without releasing. After touchdown, he executed the touch-and-go with the harness still locked. During the climb, the engine hesitated, prompting the pilot to pitch the airplane forward.
Suspecting a fuel issue, the pilot attempted to switch fuel tanks. Due to the locked shoulder harness, he struggled to reach the fuel selector lever and abandoned the attempt. He initiated a left turn toward flat terrain for a forced landing. The airplane touched down in a field about 350 feet beyond the departure end of the runway, coming to rest upright adjacent to a tree line. The left wing sustained substantial damage.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident engine examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The fuel distribution system was intact and appeared normal. Cockpit throttle and mixture controls were rigged properly and functioned normally. The fuel selector valve was found in the left tank position. A total of about 4.25 gallons of fuel was recovered: 4 gallons from the left tank and 0.25 gallons from the right. The fuel tanks were not compromised, and the cockpit fuel gauges functioned normally during testing. The pilot’s inertial reel on the shoulder harness did not function properly as reported.
The airplane flight manual states that unusable fuel for this model is 5 total gallons, with 2.5 gallons in each tank for critical flight conditions.