What happened
On 22 July 1999, a Piper PA-28-140, registration G-BXPL, was conducting a solo training circuit at Bournemouth International Airport. The aircraft, which had been refuelled to capacity earlier that morning, had been in the air for approximately 45 minutes when the student pilot noticed a reduction in engine RPM while flying downwind for Runway 35.
Believing a landing on the active runway was possible, the pilot turned back towards the airfield. However, as the aircraft approached short finals, it became evident that the remaining altitude was insufficient to clear a boundary road and an adjacent hedge. To avoid these obstacles, the pilot executed a turn to land in a field situated parallel to the road.
Upon touchdown, the left main landing gear collapsed. This caused the aircraft to veer left, resulting in a collision with a post and wire fence. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the engine cowling, propeller, and the left main landing gear. The pilot, who was wearing a lap and diagonal seat belt, was able to exit the aircraft without any injuries.
The investigation
Following the accident, the airfield operations director and the Chief Flight Instructor (CFI) conducted an inspection of the aircraft's fuel system. During this examination, they discovered that the right fuel tank was empty, while a significant amount of fuel remained in the left tank. The investigation established that the fuel selector valve had been set to the right tank.