Accident
At approximately 17:30 local time, a Piper PA28-181 Archer III, registered F-GZEU, departed from Belle-Île aerodrome for a return flight to Île d'Yeu. The aircraft was operated by Aéroclub Raymond Priet Île d'Yeu under non-commercial operations. On board were the pilot and three passengers. Shortly after takeoff, at about 250 ft and 65 kt, the engine experienced misfires. The pilot slightly lowered the nose, maintained runway heading, and cycled the electric fuel pump, which restored power momentarily. He then initiated a left turn to return to the aerodrome. During the turn, the engine stopped completely. The pilot attempted to reach a nearby field for a forced landing, but the left wing struck a copse and the aircraft impacted the ground. The aircraft was destroyed.
Pilot Information
The 67-year-old pilot held a Private Pilot Licence (PPL(A)) issued in 2010. He had accumulated approximately 440 flight hours, 365 as pilot-in-command on several types including the PA28. In the month preceding the accident, he had flown 10 hours, 6 on F-GZEU. He reported having checked the fuel quantity at departure from Île d'Yeu and added the contents of two 20-liter jerrycans into the left tank, as the right tank was nearly full. He believed he had selected the left tank for the outbound flight and the right tank for the return flight during pre-flight preparation. He stated he normally does not change tank selection after engine start on the ground. Engine run-ups were normal.
Aircraft Information
The Piper PA28-181 Archer III was equipped with a Lycoming 180 hp engine. Total fuel capacity was 189 liters (182 usable) distributed between two wing tanks. Fuel pickups are located forward and near the fuselage. The flight manual normal procedures direct selecting the desired tank before engine start and verifying the selection before takeoff. The club's checklist requires selecting the fullest tank during the interior pre-flight, confirming tank selection before start, and verifying tank selection and fuel endurance before takeoff. The emergency procedure for engine failure after takeoff is depicted in the flight manual (Figure 1).
Fuel Management
According to the aircraft logbook, the last full refueling occurred two days prior at Ancenis. After a 48-minute flight back to Île d'Yeu, 40 liters were removed to perform a round trip to Nantes Atlantiques (1h06 total). On the day of the accident, the pilot took over the aircraft with about 70 liters of fuel. He reported adding 40 liters into the left tank, which would have given approximately two hours of endurance at departure from Belle-Île. However, examination of the wreckage found that only the right tank contained fuel, and the fuel selector was in the left position. The engine did not produce power on impact and the propeller was likely stopped. The fuel system was otherwise complete and functional, except for the absence of fuel in the left tank.
Conclusion
The BEA concluded that during preparations at Belle-Île, the pilot selected the left tank, which contained only a very small amount of fuel. This fuel was consumed during takeoff or was below the usable quantity, leading to engine stoppage. Two hypotheses were considered: either the pilot added only one 20-liter jerrycan to the left tank at Île d'Yeu, or he added 40 liters but into the right tank. In either case, the outbound flight from Île d'Yeu to Belle-Île was also critical, with risk of fuel exhaustion over water. The partial restoration of engine power may have led the pilot to believe a return was possible. After the engine stopped during the turn, he attempted a forced landing but struck vegetation. The distraction from explaining procedures to a passenger may have contributed to the improper fuel selector setting. Full application of the engine failure after takeoff procedures would have involved selecting the right tank, which contained fuel, potentially enabling a restart.