Accident Overview
On March 24, 2022, at approximately 1349 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-300, registration N111NW, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. George, Utah. The pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that after refueling the airplane with 94 gallons of fuel, they departed Casper/Natrona County International Airport (CPR), Casper, Wyoming, destined for St. George Regional Airport (SGU), St. George, Utah. During the approach to runway 19 at SGU, at an altitude of about 3,800 feet above ground level, the pilot informed the tower that he had lost engine power. Despite several attempts, he was unable to restart the engine. Believing he did not have sufficient altitude to reach the runway, he initiated a forced landing onto rough desert terrain. During the landing roll, the landing gear collapsed and separated, and the airplane slid approximately 100 feet before coming to rest upright. The accident resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.
Postaccident Examination
First responder photographs of the accident site depicted dark-colored, fuel-saturated ground underneath the left inboard fuel tank. During wreckage recovery, the left-wing tanks were found empty, while 20 gallons of fuel was recovered from the right-wing tanks. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The fuel selector valve handle position was undetermined due to impact damage; however, the fuel selector valve itself was undamaged and found in the right tank position. The fuel lines between the wings, fuel selector valve, electric pump, and engine were tested with air, and no blockages were noted. Residual fuel was found in the fuel lines and fuel components during the examination.
Flight Data Analysis
Downloaded instrument flight data showed that the fuel tanks were switched about every 20 minutes during the accident flight. Accurate fuel tank quantities were undetermined from the data. According to the data, shortly before the loss of engine power, the fuel pressure decreased to near zero. About 5 seconds later, the fuel flow momentarily increased and then dropped to zero. Three seconds later, the engine RPM decreased to zero, followed by the manifold pressure increasing to near ambient levels.