ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 152683
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| Date: | Friday 18 January 2013 |
| Time: | 13:00 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-235 Cherokee |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N49DS |
| MSN: | 28-7610019 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1976 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4869 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-540 SERIES |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Rock Springs-Sweetwater County Airport - KRKS, Rock Springs, WY -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Gillette, WY (GCC) |
| Rock Springs, WY (RKS) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
After an uneventful cross-country flight, the pilot initiated the landing descent by reducing engine power. When the airplane approached the base leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot performed the landing checklist, which included switching the fuel selector valve to the left tip tank. When the pilot turned the airplane from the base to final leg of the traffic pattern, he realized that the airplane was too low, and he applied full engine power. However, the engine did not respond, and a few seconds later all engine power was lost. With limited altitude to complete a thorough emergency check, the pilot performed a forced landing to rough terrain. During the landing sequence, the airplane struck a fence and berm, sustaining substantial damage to both wings.
After the accident, the pilot expressed concern that he may have inadvertently starved the engine of fuel during the approach by turning the fuel selector valve beyond its left tip tank travel limit toward its OFF position. The airplane's fuel selector lever was fitted with an interlock mechanism to prevent a pilot from inadvertently shutting off the fuel in this manner. However, examination revealed that the mechanism had shifted and the fuel selector lever could be moved to a position between the left tip tank and the OFF detent without engaging the interlock, which could result in an interruption of fuel flow to the engine.
Data extracted from the engine monitor, as well as the minimal quantities of fuel recovered from the fuel system, were consistent with a fuel starvation event. A postaccident examination of the engine and successful engine run revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot's inadvertent movement of the fuel selector valve beyond its tank detent, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the fuel selector interlock mechanism.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=49DS
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Jan-2013 16:42 | Geno | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 28-Nov-2017 14:05 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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