Accident Overview
On December 3, 2023, at approximately 2104 central standard time, a Piper PA-32-260 airplane, registration N7748J, was substantially damaged when it struck terrain near Millington, Tennessee. The aircraft was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The private pilot was not injured; the flight instructor sustained minor injuries.
Flight Details
The accident flight was a roundtrip from Millington/Memphis Airport (NQA) to Gulf Shores International Airport (JKA) and return. The private pilot was the pilot flying for both legs, accumulating flight time for insurance purposes. The flight to JKA was uneventful, and at JKA the pilots requested a fuel top-off. A fuel receipt indicated 40.3 gallons were added, achieving a top-off.
Return Flight and Loss of Power
The return flight departed JKA at 1832 and cruised at 4,500 feet mean sea level. During enroute cruise, the pilots used only the left and right main fuel tanks; the wingtip tanks were not used. During the approach to NQA, the before-landing check was completed with the fuel selector on the left main tank. The flight instructor recalled that during the approach, the left and right main inboard tanks indicated a little less than 10 gallons each, and the wingtip tanks showed full; however, the fuel gauges were “bobbing” throughout the flight.
About 500 feet above ground level on final approach to runway 22 with full flaps, the engine suddenly lost all power. The private pilot maintained control and, on the instructor’s advice, continued at best glide airspeed. The fuel selector was then moved from the left main tank to the left wingtip tank. Shortly after the selector was moved, engine power began to return, but nearly simultaneously the airplane impacted terrain about 900 feet short of the runway threshold.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane at the accident site. The fuselage and wings sustained substantial damage. No fuel was found in either the left main tank or the left wingtip tank. About 15 gallons of fuel was drained from the right wingtip tank and about 3 gallons from the right main tank.
Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The fuel system was evaluated for blockages, with none observed. The left main tank showed no evidence of leakage. The left wingtip tank was breached near the leading edge due to impact damage. The right main and wingtip tanks were undamaged.
Aircraft Fuel System and Manual Guidance
According to the owner’s manual, the airplane had two inboard main fuel tanks, each holding 25 gallons, and two outboard wingtip tanks holding 17 gallons each. A fuel selector on the cockpit floor allowed selection of each tank individually, plus an OFF position. Unusable fuel was about one pint per tank. The manual advised: “Avoid switching tanks at low altitude since little recovery time is available in event of an error in tank selection. To preclude making a hasty decision, and to provide continuity of flow, the selector should be changed before fuel is exhausted from the tank in use.” It also stated that “The main or tip tank with the highest quantity of fuel should be selected for landing.”
A placard required to be in the cockpit stated “USE MAIN TANKS FIRST.” This placard was present in the accident airplane.