Swiss Piper PA-28-181 Emergency Landing After Engine Failure During Training Flight (HB-PKR)

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details On 27 October 2017, a Piper PA-28-181 with registration HB-PKR made an emergency landing at a location known as “Le Bochet” in Bercher, within the commune of Lausanne, Switzerland. The aircraft was operated and owned by AeroFormation B.Hanhart SA, based in Lausanne. The incident occurred during a training flight conducted under visual flight rules, with the flight originating from and destined for La Blécherette Aerodrome (LSGL). The emergency landing took place during the takeoff and climb phase, at an altitude of 643 meters above mean sea level. ## Personnel and Flight Context The flight was a training exercise involving an instructor and a student pilot. The instructor, a Swiss citizen born in 1942, held a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Private Pilot Licence (Aeroplane) issued by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (OFAC). The instructor had a total of 13,969 flight hours, including 500 hours on the type, but no hours on the type in the preceding 90 days. The student pilot, a Swiss citizen born in 1960, also held an EASA PPL(A) issued by OFAC, with a total of 455 flight hours, including 109 hours on the type, and no hours on the type in the preceding 90 days. ## Sequence of Events During the training flight, a simulated engine failure over open terrain was conducted. While descending, the pilot performed a malfunction search procedure and changed the fuel tank selection. When attempting to apply power at low altitude, the engine stopped, prompting the instructor to execute an emergency landing. After landing, the crew discovered that the fuel selector was in the “OFF” position instead of “RIGHT” and that the safety mechanism was defective. ## Outcome and Investigation The incident resulted in no injuries to the crew or passengers and no damage to the aircraft or other property. The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB) conducted a summary investigation under Article 46 of the Ordinance on Safety Investigations in the Event of Incidents in the Transport Sector (OEIT). The report was issued on 18 January 2018, with the objective of drawing lessons from the incident.