What happened
On 5 January 2004, a Piper PA-2-8R-201T Turbo Cherokee Arrow III, registration G-DIZY, was performing a private positioning flight from Buckmore Park to Coventry Airport. The flight was intended to move the aircraft for its annual inspection. After completing pre-flight checks and refueling, the pilot departed from the grass runway using a short-field takeoff technique.
At approximately 250 feet above the aerodrome, the pilot retracted the flaps and observed that the aircraft was failing to accelerate as expected. A faint smell of fuel was noted in the cockpit, followed by a complete loss of engine power. The pilot immediately notified air traffic control of the engine failure and began searching for a landing site amidst difficult terrain.
After identifying a small clearing in a wooded area to the left, the pilot maneuvered the aircraft toward the gap. The landing gear was extended once it was certain the trees could be cleared. However, the aircraft touched down before the gear had fully deployed, causing the plane to slide 40 metres on its lower fuselage. The pilot escaped the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's fuel system and the engine-driven fuel pump. A previous, rudimentary test by a maintenance organization had suggested the pump was non-functional, but a subsequent bench test by an overhaul agent found the pump to be performing adequately, despite a slight fuel seepage near a seal. No mechanical defects, corrosion, or contamination were found within the pump itself.
Engineers also looked into the aircraft's starting procedures. It had been noted that the replacement engine installed in 2001 was more difficult to start than the previous unit, leading to a custom procedure where the auxiliary electric fuel pump was used in the 'LO' position to assist with priming.
Findings
- The specific cause of the engine power loss could not be determined.
- While a loose fuel union was considered a possible source of fuel supply interruption, no such loose connection was found during inspections.
- The engine-driven fuel pump was unlikely to be the cause of the failure.
- The pilot's ability to execute a controlled landing in a confined area demonstrated high levels of situational awareness and aircraft control.