Incident Summary
On January 24, 2023, at approximately 1642 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-140 airplane, registration N7470R, was substantially damaged during a forced landing on an interstate highway near Buford, Georgia. The flight instructor and a student pilot were not injured. The airplane was being operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight.
Aircraft and Crew
The aircraft was a Piper PA-28-140, a single-engine airplane. The flight instructor was conducting the flight with a student pilot. Both occupants reported no injuries.
Accident Sequence
The flight instructor reported that she and the student pilot had practiced several maneuvers in the local area and were returning to their home airport. She asked the student to switch fuel tanks, as it was time to do so. Shortly after the fuel tank switch, the engine lost all power. The instructor confirmed that the throttle was full forward and the mixture was full rich. Unable to reach an airport due to their altitude, the flight instructor performed a forced landing to a local interstate highway. During the landing, the airplane’s nose landing gear collapsed and the right wing was damaged.
Examination Findings
An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration examined the wreckage at the accident site and reported substantial damage to the right wing. The wreckage was then moved to a salvage facility for further examination. The position of the cockpit fuel selector handle prior to the accident could not be determined. The engine was still attached to the airframe with an undamaged engine mount. A test run of the engine was attempted. Visual examination revealed no holes or breaches in the engine case, and internal continuity of the drivetrain was confirmed by manually rotating the engine crankshaft. The propeller remained attached but with visibly bent blade tips. Spark plugs were removed and exhibited light brown color and normal wear.
The engine was started and ran without hesitation or stumbling from idle to about 2,100 rpm. The test run was concluded after 2 minutes.
Examination of the fuel system revealed that the right-wing fuel tank was breached from impact forces and was empty of fuel. The fuel cap was secured and in place with a supple seal. The left-wing fuel tank was intact and was empty of fuel, also with a secured cap and supple seal. The gascolator contained about 2 ounces of clean, blue fuel with no water observed. When the throttle arm was actuated, the accelerator pump expelled liquid, and water droplets were observed on the throttle plate. The carburetor was removed for examination. After partial disassembly, the composite floats and other internal components were undamaged. The carburetor bowl contained blue fuel and about 1 ounce of cloudy water.
The flight instructor reported that the preflight inspection of the airplane prior to the accident flight was unremarkable and no water was observed in the fuel system.