What happened
On July 10, 2018, a Piper PA28-181 (registration F-GZEU) departed from Belle-Île aerodrome for a return flight to Île d’Yeu. The aircraft was carrying the pilot and three passengers. Shortly after takeoff, at an altitude of approximately 250 feet and a speed of 65 knots, the engine began to sputter. The pilot attempted to stabilize the aircraft and cycled the electric fuel pump, which temporarily restored engine power.
Believing the issue was resolved, the pilot initiated a left turn to return to the airfield. During this maneuver, the engine failed completely. The pilot attempted an emergency landing in a nearby field, but the left wing struck a grove of trees before the aircraft impacted the ground. The aircraft was destroyed, and there were no fatalities among the four occupants.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the fuel management and the sequence of events leading to the engine failure. Investigators found that while the aircraft had sufficient total fuel for the flight, the fuel selector was set to the left tank, which had been depleted.
At the previous stop in Île d’Yeu, the pilot had added 40 liters of fuel using 20-liter canisters. The investigation examined whether the fuel was added to the wrong tank or if the amount added was insufficient. Crucially, investigators noted that the fuel selector was positioned to the left tank at the time of the accident, while the right tank remained nearly full. The investigation also looked into the pilot's actions during the engine sputter and the impact of passenger interaction on cockpit focus.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failure was the inadequate management of the fuel selectors, which led to the depletion of the left fuel tank.
- The pilot likely selected the left tank during preparation at Belle-Île, which contained very little usable fuel.
- The pilot's attention may have been diverted by explaining aircraft procedures to a non-pilot passenger, contributing to the incorrect tank selection.
- The engine failure occurred because the left tank had been progressively exhausted during the preceding flight from Île d’Yeu to Belle-Île.
- Failure to follow the full emergency procedures for a power loss during takeoff—specifically, failing to switch to the right tank—prevented the engine from being restarted using the remaining fuel supply.