What happened
On August 13, 2001, a Piper PA 18 - 150 Super Cub, registration F-BNMP, was conducting a local flight from a private aerodrome near La Houblonnière. Approximately fifteen minutes into the flight, while the pilot was descending to 500 feet during the return leg, the engine began to sputter and subsequently failed.
In an attempt to execute a short landing in the surrounding countryside, the pilot maintained a low airspeed. However, at an altitude of approximately five meters, the aircraft entered a stall and veered to the left. The pilot was unable to avoid a hedge, and the aircraft came to rest in heavy brush. The accident resulted in one injury and significant damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and the aircraft's fuel system to determine the cause of the engine failure. The inspection revealed that the right fuel tank was empty, while the left tank remained three-quarters full.
The aircraft is an older design featuring individual tanks in each wing, with fuel levels monitored via transparent tubes located along the wing roots. The cockpit is equipped with a three-position selector switch allowing the pilot to choose between the right wing, left wing, or the off position.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failure was fuel exhaustion caused by the pilot's failure to monitor fuel consumption on the active tank.
- The pilot failed to utilize the available fuel in the left tank.
- The pilot's familiarity with a different aircraft of the same model likely contributed to the error; that aircraft had a modified fuel system allowing for simultaneous feeding from both tanks, whereas the current aircraft required manual switching.