What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2006-11-12 involved a INCIDENT 12 novembre 2006 - avion, at :, FR.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The engine failure was caused by fuel exhaustion resulting from the pilot's failure to account for a higher-than-expected fuel consumption rate, compounded by a lack of specific performance training on the aircraft type.

Fuel exhaustion leads to highway landing in Piper Archer 2

A Piper PA 28-181 Archer 2 experienced engine power loss due to fuel exhaustion, forcing an emergency landing on the A 66 motorway in France.

What happened

On November 12, 2006, a Piper PA 28-181 Archer 2, registration F-GJMS, was engaged in a cross-country flight from Muret to Reggio Emilia, Italy, with a return leg planned via Cannes, France. The aircraft was operated by a flying club and was carrying the pilot and three passengers.

During the return leg, after approximately three hours of flight, the engine lost power. The pilot identified a straight section of the A 6-6 motorway with light traffic and elected to perform an emergency landing on the roadway. During the landing roll, the aircraft's left wing struck a traffic sign, resulting in damage to the wing. There were no fatalities and no injuries were reported among the four occupants.

The investigation

The investigation focused on the fuel management and the discrepancy between the pilot's planned fuel consumption and the actual consumption. Investigators determined that since departing from Muret, the aircraft had been in the air for nine hours and two minutes, consuming approximately 430 liters of fuel. This resulted in an average consumption rate of 48 liters per hour at a cruise setting of approximately 2,600 RPM.

Analysis of radio communications confirmed the engine was operating at a cruise RPM of 2,577. The investigation also examined the pilot's recent transition to this aircraft type. The pilot had been cleared to fly the Piper PA 28-181 Archer 2 only two days prior to the flight, following a training session that focused on cockpit layout and fuel loading but did not cover specific performance characteristics.

Findings

The primary cause of the engine failure was insufficient reference to the performance indications provided in the pilot's flight manual.
The pilot had planned the flight based on a fuel consumption rate of 38 liters per hour, which is the value specified in the manual for 65% power; however, the actual consumption was significantly higher at 48 liters per hour.
The pilot failed to detect this increased fuel consumption during previous refueling stops.
The pilot relied on fuel gauge readings during the flight rather than calculating remaining endurance based on actual consumption rates.
The transition training for the aircraft type was inadequate, as it did not address the specific performance differences between the pilot's usual aircraft and the Piper Archer 2.