What happened
On September 21, 2012, a Piper PA 28RT 201T, registration F-GRKB, departed from runway 12R at Montpellier Méditerranée Airport for an IFR instructional flight. The aircraft was carrying an instructor, a student, and one passenger. Immediately following rotation during the initial climb, the engine experienced misfires lasting between two and five seconds before failing completely.
The instructor took control of the aircraft and performed an emergency landing, maintaining the runway centerline. In an attempt to vacate the runway via taxiway L1, the aircraft drifted due to high speed and exited the paved surface. The aircraft subsequently struck a sign located 61 meters left of the centerline and 15 meters beyond the end of runway 12R, where it came to a halt. The propeller blades sustained damage during the event. There were no fatalities or injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the engine's performance and recent maintenance history. The instructor noted that the engine had previously experienced starting difficulties and a total power loss during a flight to Avignon on September 14, 2012. Following that prior incident, maintenance checks including fuel system inspections and engine tests had been performed, but no malfunctions were identified.
Records showed that the Continental TSIO-360-FB engine had been remanufactured by Continental in the United States in August 2012 and had been installed on F-GRTKB on August 31, 2012, accumulating 39 flight hours prior to the accident.
Findings
An examination of the fuel system revealed the presence of rubber debris within the mechanical fuel pump. This debris restricted the fuel supply, leading to a drop in pressure at the pump's outlet, which caused the engine to fail. The investigation concluded that previous maintenance inspections had failed to detect the contamination. The specific origin of the rubber debris could not be determined.