Accident Overview
On February 26, 2022, at 1043 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-150, registration N5208W, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident in Savannah, Georgia. The student pilot, operating a solo instructional flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, was not injured.
Flight History
According to the student pilot, he was on short final for landing on runway 01 at his home airport when the tower controller instructed him to discontinue his approach, turn right, and enter the left downwind leg of the traffic pattern for runway 28. After establishing on the downwind leg, the pilot completed a right 360° turn as directed by the controller, then continued the downwind leg and turned left onto the base leg. When approaching the turn onto the final approach leg, the engine lost power. The pilot reported that the engine “sputtered,” and the engine rpm “dropped, then came back up” before reducing to 300 rpm. Engine rpm was never restored, and the pilot performed a forced landing in the Savannah River.
Aircraft and Fuel Information
The airplane, manufactured in 1961, was equipped with two 25-gallon wing tanks, of which 24 gallons in each tank were usable. According to the manufacturer’s Owner’s Handbook, the fuel consumption rate at 75% power was 9 gallons per hour (gph), not including fuel consumed during engine start, taxi, takeoff, and climb.
Review of company dispatch and fueling records indicated that, before the accident flight, the airplane had flown 4.1 hours since being fueled to capacity. At the nominal cruise fuel consumption rate of 9 gph, the airplane would have consumed 27 gallons in 3.0 hours, leaving about 21 gallons remaining.
Post-Accident Examination
The airplane was recovered from the Savannah River under FAA supervision. The left wing was substantially damaged. Flight control continuity was established. The fuel selector was found in the right tank position. Twenty gallons of liquid were drained from the fuel tanks; according to the recovery specialist, “maybe 3 or 4 gallons” were fuel and the rest water. About 75% of the liquid came from the left tank; the right tank contained about 5 gallons, with perhaps one gallon of fuel. No evidence of fuel leaks or rainbow sheens was observed at the recovery site.
The engine was examined at an aircraft recovery facility. Spark plugs were removed; the engine was rotated by hand, and water was pumped from the cylinders. Continuity was confirmed from the powertrain to the valvetrain and accessory section. Compression was confirmed using the thumb method. Magnetos, when dried and actuated with a drill, produced spark at all terminal leads. The carburetor was disassembled and contained no water or fuel; its inlet screen was intact and unobstructed. The engine-driven fuel pump contained no water or fuel and pumped fluid when actuated by hand. The electric fuel pump contained no fuel and operated when powered by a battery.
Pilot and Instructor Statements
The student pilot stated that he believed he departed on the left tank position, switched to the right tank position, and the selector remained there for the remainder of the flight.
An interview with the pilot’s flight instructor revealed that the normal convention was to refuel airplanes before departure based on the planned mission. The instructor estimated that the airplane was adequately fueled for the planned solo flight, with about 34 gallons on board. Review of surveillance video showed that the instructor visually inspected the fuel tanks while the student conducted his preflight inspection, but the student did not. The instructor explained that the fuel quantity measuring device was not used during the preflight inspection as “it was broken.”
Data Review
Review of ADS-B data showed that the airplane climbed to traffic pattern and/or cruise flight altitude four times during the accident flight. Examination of data from the airplane’s engine data monitor revealed fuel flow rates at or above 10 gph for about 21 minutes of the 1.1-hour flight.