February 08, San Diego, Calif. / Piper Archer

At about 18:50 Pacific time, a Piper PA-28-181 struck a berm during a forced landing at the Montgomery Field airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he was practicing takeoffs and landings and he checked the fuel quantity in the airplanes fuel tanks while flying on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern to runway 28R. He then repositioned the fuel tank selector to what he believed was the left fuel tank but apparently selected Off instead. All engine power was lost and he turned toward the airport, but the airplane ended up about 1,800 feet short of the runways threshold....

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Key Takeaways:

  • A Piper PA-28-181 made a forced landing at Montgomery Field after the pilot inadvertently selected the fuel tank "Off" position, leading to complete engine power loss.
  • The incident occurred during practice takeoffs and landings, with the aircraft striking a berm approximately 1,800 feet short of the runway threshold.
  • Despite the aircraft hitting a berm, the pilot was not injured in the forced landing.
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At about 18:50 Pacific time, a Piper PA-28-181 struck a berm during a forced landing at the Montgomery Field airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot said he was practicing takeoffs and landings and he checked the fuel quantity in the airplanes fuel tanks while flying on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern to runway 28R. He then repositioned the fuel tank selector to what he believed was the left fuel tank but apparently selected Off instead. All engine power was lost and he turned toward the airport, but the airplane ended up about 1,800 feet short of the runways threshold.

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