What happened
On August 30, 2008, a Piper PA 24-250 Comanche, registered HB-PLO, was performing a VFR flight from Cahors, France, to Lausanne, Switzerland. The flight was part of a return journey following a period of local flight training. After completing three circuit patterns to maintain recent experience, the pilot and two passengers loaded luggage and prepared for departure.
Shortly after takeoff from runway 13, at an altitude of approximately 60 feet, the pilot retracted the landing gear. Immediately following this action, the engine began to lose power. The pilot attempted an emergency landing on the existing runway, touching down approximately 1,225 meters from the threshold. The aircraft slid for about 200 meters along the runway centerline before coming to a halt. There were no fatalities or injuries, though the aircraft sustained damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the fuel management of the aircraft, which is equipped with two main tanks (113 liters each) and two auxiliary tanks (57 liters each). Records indicated that the engine had been running for two hours and twenty minutes since the aircraft's departure from Lausanne. During this time, 103 liters of fuel had been consumed from the auxiliary tanks.
The investigation established that the fuel remaining in the left auxiliary tank was insufficient to sustain engine operation. The pilot admitted to an incorrect fuel tank selection prior to takeoff. Specifically, the pilot had selected the left auxiliary tank instead of the main tanks, which were required for the takeoff and landing phases.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine power loss was fuel exhaustion in the active tank due to the incorrect selection of the left auxiliary tank during pre-flight operations.
- The pilot failed to properly execute the 'before start' and 'before takeoff' checklists, which explicitly require verifying that the fuel selector is set to the fullest tank.
- A contributing factor was time pressure, as the pilot intended to depart at 14:00 to adhere to the flight plan schedule and arrive at the destination as early as possible.
- Inattention during the pre-flight verification process allowed the error to go undetected.