What happened
On 2 August 2006, a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II, registration G-BODR, was conducting a private flight from Wycombe to the Isle of Wight and back. During the return leg, the pilot performed a touch-and-go landing at Wycombe Air Park for handling practice. While climbing out after the touch-and-go, at an altitude of approximately 100 to 200 feet, the engine suffered a rapid loss of power and subsequently stopped.
The pilot initiated a forced landing in a field south of Wycombe Air Park. During the landing roll, the aircraft struck a hedge and a tree line, resulting in damage to the left wing and the landing gear. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation established that the engine failure was caused by the exhaustion of fuel from the right tank. Although the pilot had noted a slight roll to the left during the flight and checked the fuel gauges—which indicated roughly equal quantities in both tanks—the right tank was actually nearly empty.
Technical examination of the aircraft revealed that while the left tank contained approximately 50 litres of fuel, the right tank contained only 150 millilitres. The investigation also found that when the fuel selection was switched to the right tank with the engine running, the fuel pressure dropped to zero and the engine stopped after 65 seconds. No fuel leaks were identified in the engine or fuel system.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failure was the exhaustion of fuel from the right tank.
- The pilot failed to switch the fuel selection back to the left tank during the return leg as originally planned.
- The pilot's assessment of the remaining fuel was inaccurate, likely due to a visual overestimation of the fuel level in the right tank and an optimistic reading from the fuel gauge.
- Several contributing factors increased the actual fuel consumption, including a longer taxi time due to a headset replacement, a diversion to avoid gliding activity, a climb to 4,000 feet, and an extra orbit over Hurst Castle.
- Distractions during the flight, including radio frequency changes and moderate turbulence, may have affected the pilot's focus on fuel management.