History of the Flight
On 18 March 2014, the Piper Cherokee PA32, registration N87619, departed Arau Airstrip (SYAU) at approximately 13:05 UTC. About three to four minutes after takeoff, the aircraft crashed on Crubu Mountain, four miles from the airstrip. The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, the engine began running rough. He turned the aircraft around in an attempt to return to the airstrip. The pilot stated that he had 5 gallons of fuel in the left main tank and 18 gallons in the right main tank. However, he had taken off with the fuel selector positioned on the left main tank. When the engine started running rough at approximately 900 feet above Crubu Mountain, his immediate reaction was to switch tanks. Intending to select the right main tank, he mistakenly moved the selector past that position to the right wing tip tank, which was empty. The pilot recalled looking for a clear spot to land but lost consciousness and had no further recollection of the crash.
Injuries to Persons
According to the report, there were no fatal injuries. Two passengers sustained serious injuries, and the pilot and one other occupant suffered minor or no injuries. The total number of occupants was four: one crew and three passengers.
Damage to Aircraft
The aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair. It impacted several small trees before coming to a stop. The entire starboard wing separated from the fuselage. The right wing tip tank and aileron also separated. The port wing tip fairing was severed. One propeller blade penetrated the ground, and the other blade showed signs of impact with trees and the ground.
Other Damage
The aircraft cut a swath through trees, and the area where it came to rest was ploughed up.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a US Commercial Pilot Licence with ratings for single-engine and multi-engine aircraft and an instrument rating. He was 43 years old at the time and held a US second-class medical certificate with a limitation requiring corrective lenses. His total flying hours were over 2,360. He had flown about 300 hours in the USA before coming to Guyana, with approximately 100 hours of recreational flying and 200 hours of flight training. His flight and duty times from December 2010 to March 17, 2014, were within acceptable limits.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Piper Cherokee PA32-6, serial number 32-40752, manufactured in 1970. It was a six-seat, single-engine, low-wing monoplane with all-metal construction. The total airframe time was approximately 8,744.3 hours. It was powered by a Lycoming TIO-540-SER engine (310 hp) with a time since major overhaul of about 1,951.77 hours. The aircraft had been involved in a previous accident on November 16, 2011, after which an engine change was performed in April 2012.
Fuel System
The aircraft had four fuel tanks with a total capacity of 84 gallons: two main inboard tanks (25 gallons each) and two tip tanks (17 gallons each). According to the Pilot’s Operating Handbook, all fuel except about 1 pint per tank was usable. Tip tanks were to be filled first, and fuel was to be used from the main tanks first. The fuel selector, located below the center of the instrument panel, had five positions: OFF, LEFT WING TIP, LEFT MAIN, RIGHT MAIN, and RIGHT WING TIP. Each position was slotted and clearly marked, with a detent to hold the selector in place. A safety lever required depression to move to the OFF position. The fuel gauges for each tank were in the engine gauge cluster; the pilot indicated they were working and matched his visual estimates.
Probable Cause
The cause of this accident was the pilot's failure to ensure that the fuel selector was on a tank that contained sufficient fuel for the takeoff, and the subsequent improper fuel selector change under stress. Contributing causes included the design of the fuel selector, which allowed it to be inadvertently moved to the empty tip tank, and the pilot’s lack of familiarity with the aircraft’s fuel system.