What happened
On July 9, 2017, a PA28-151 was performing a flight from Pinnow, Germany, via Stendal, to Suben, Austria. Following a refueling stop in Stendal, the flight proceeded toward Suben without incident. During the descent, the pilot reduced power to maintain a constant airspeed, aided by a slight tailwind.
As the aircraft entered the right downwind leg of the traffic pattern at pattern altitude, the pilot advanced the throttle to increase power and maintain altitude. At this moment, the engine failed. The pilot immediately notified the tower and attempted to steer the aircraft toward runway 14, the shortest path to the runway. However, upon identifying a power line, the pilot maneuvered the aircraft to the left toward a harvested field. Due to the low altitude of approximately 700 feet, a landing on the harvested field was not possible, prompting the pilot to select a nearby cornfield. To avoid a nose-first impact with the 2-meter-high crops, the pilot pulled the nose up before touchdown. The pilot and passenger remained uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the fuel system and the state of the aircraft at the time of the engine failure. Investigators examined the fuel remaining in the tanks, the position of the fuel selector valve, and the fuel lines. The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's weight and balance, as well as the cockpit instruments.
Technical analysis of the fuel revealed that the fuel gauges had both indicated zero due to the nose-heavy attitude of the aircraft at the crash site. However, physical inspection of the tanks showed approximately 13 liters of MOGAS in the right tank and approximately 1 liter of AVGAS 100LL in the left tank. Traces of AVGAS were also found in the drain valve. The fuel line from the mechanical pump to the float chamber was dry, and no fuel was present in the float chamber.
Findings
- The engine failure was caused by insufficient fuel in the left tank.
- The fuel selector valve was set to the left tank, which contained only about 1 liter of AVGAS 100LL.
- The pilot had likely selected the left tank shortly before the engine failure.
- According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, the usable fuel limit for the tanks is 2 U.S. gallons (approximately 7.57 liters) per wing, meaning the remaining fuel was below the safe operating limit.
- The aircraft's weight and balance were within limits, and the pilot was properly licensed.