What happened
On the night of 7 April 2023, an Air Link Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-31-350 Chieftain, registration VH-HJE, was performing a night freight charter from Archerfield, Queensland, with a planned stop in Bankstown, New South Wales. During the initial leg to Bankstown, the pilot encountered an intermittent autopilot malfunction characterized by uncommanded pitch changes. Although a defect was noted in the maintenance logs, the pilot continued the return leg to Archerfield.
During the cruise portion of the return flight, the pilot transitioned fuel from the main tanks to the auxiliary tanks. While descending, the pilot performed several cockpit tasks, including radio frequency changes and weather reviews, but failed to verify the fuel tank selection via the gauges. At approximately 0552, roughly 28 nautical miles south of Archerfield, a low fuel flow warning illuminated for the right engine, followed by a reduction in engine noise. The pilot attempted several troubleshooting steps, including using emergency fuel pumps and adjusting the mixture, but the right engine continued to suffer from zero fuel flow.
At 0602, while the aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 1,600 feet, the left engine also began running roughly before experiencing a complete power loss. The aircraft entered a rapid descent of 1,500 feet per minute. Realizing the flight could not reach the destination, the pilot declared an emergency and searched for a landing site. To maintain airspeed and minimize drag, the pilot kept the landing gear and flaps retracted. The aircraft touched down in a rail corridor at 0605, striking a fence and several trees. The pilot sustained minor injuries.
Findings
- The pilot failed to confirm the fuel tank selection via the fuel quantity gauges after switching from auxiliary to main tanks.
- The failure to properly verify the fuel source led to the depletion of fuel from the auxiliary tanks, causing the subsequent engine failures.