What happened
On June 15, 2011, at 15:30 local time, a Piper PA 28, registration F-BUUD, departed from Montélimar aerodrome for a 30-minute sightseeing flight. The aircraft was carrying the pilot and one passenger. During the return leg of the flight, while on final approach at approximately 400 feet, the pilot experienced a progressive loss of engine power followed by a complete engine failure. Believing the aircraft could not reach the runway, the pilot executed a forced landing in a nearby field. During the landing, the aircraft struck an embankment, underwent a ground loop, and came to a stop. The impact resulted in one minor injury to the pilot and caused heavy damage to the fuselage, both wings, the propeller, and the landing gear.
The investigation
Investigators examined the engine and its accessories but found no mechanical malfunctions capable of causing the engine stoppage. The aircraft is equipped with two wing tanks, each with a capacity of 94.5 liters (including 4 liters of unusable fuel), controlled by a fuel selector switch.
During the pre-flight inspection, the pilot visually estimated the left tank contained between 60 and 70 liters, while the right tank contained between 5 and 10 liters. The pilot stated that the fuel selector remained on the left tank throughout the flight. However, post-accident inspections revealed that the left tank still held over 60 liters, while the right tank contained less than 5 liters. Based on the flight log, the average fuel consumption was approximately 29 liters per hour, and roughly 15 liters had been consumed during this specific flight. While the investigation could not definitively prove the selector position due to initial estimation inaccuracies, the remaining fuel levels strongly suggest the engine was running on the fuel from the right tank.
Findings
- The accident was likely caused by the pilot selecting a fuel tank that contained insufficient fuel to complete the flight.
- The pilot's decision to proceed with the flight despite a nearly empty tank was a contributing factor.
- The pilot failed to follow the full emergency procedure, which requires switching to the alternative fuel tank following an engine failure.