2017 Cirrus SR-20 accident at Saint Sauvy (F-HFRB)

Flight details and accident sequence On 8 October 2017, a Cirrus SR-20 registered F-HFRB, operated by Aéro Club Midi Pyrénées, departed Toulouse Lasbordes at 10:30 local time for a navigation flight to Auch. The pilot, accompanied by one passenger, planned a scenic route through the Pyrenees. After landing at Auch at 12:06 and a stop of about two and a half hours, the aircraft departed for the return leg to Toulouse Lasbordes. Shortly after takeoff from Auch, while at approximately 1,500 ft, the pilot experienced engine misfires. Attempts to restore power by adjusting the throttle, operating the fuel pump, and using the electric starter were unsuccessful. The pilot turned back toward Auch and searched for a suitable field. On contact with the ground in hilly terrain, the aircraft was heavily damaged. ## Aircraft and fuel system The Cirrus SR-20 is a single-engine aircraft with a 200 hp engine and two wing fuel tanks, each holding 28 US gallons (106 L). The reported fuel consumption was about 11.5 US gallons per hour at 75% power. The aircraft’s EFIS could display total remaining fuel if the pilot entered the preflight quantity, but did not show individual tank quantities. Two gauges indicated fuel in each tank, and a low-fuel alarm activated when either tank fell below 8.5 US gallons. A “low press fuel” message appeared on the alarm panel during fuel supply failure. ## Investigation findings The fuel selector was found in the left-tank position. The left wing tank was empty, while the right wing tank still contained fuel. The pilot, a 67-year-old private pilot with 1,865 total flight hours and 160 hours on the Cirrus SR-20, estimated he had departed Toulouse with about 44 US gallons and had been using the left tank for 1 hour 36 minutes before the stop. He stated he rarely flew aircraft requiring fuel selector changes and did not think to switch tanks when the engine misfired. He did not use a checklist for engine start or preflight actions, nor a fuel tracking sheet, considering the flight simple. ## Contributing factors The BEA identified several factors that may have contributed to the improper fuel selector management and fuel system priming loss: no checklist use during aircraft preparation, approximate knowledge of normal and emergency procedures, limited recent experience, and attention focused on the passenger’s scenic experience rather than flight monitoring.