At about 10:10 CDT, a Piper Archer crashed near Auburn after apparently running out of fuel as the owner flew the new plane home from the factory. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight had been aloft for more than four hours and was cruising at between 1,500 and 3,000 feet when the airplanes engine lost power. The pilot switched fuel tanks but the engine did not respond. He attempted to land in a field, was fast on the approach, went under some wires that surrounded the field, bounced over a road and struck the ground with the right wing. Investigators found about 8 ounces of fuel in the left wing and no fuel in the right tank.
June 9, Auburn, Ala. / Piper PA-28-181 Archer
At about 10:10 CDT, a Piper Archer crashed near Auburn after apparently running out of fuel as the owner flew the new plane home from the factory. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight had been aloft for more than four hours and was cruising at between 1,500 and 3,000 feet when the airplanes engine lost power. The pilot switched fuel tanks but the engine did not respond. He attempted to land in a field, was fast on the approach, went under some wires that surrounded the field, bounced over a road and struck the ground with the right wing. Investigators found about 8 ounces of fuel in the left wing and no fuel in the right tank....
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper Archer crashed near Auburn, likely due to fuel exhaustion, while the owner was flying the new plane home from the factory.
- The engine lost power after more than four hours of flight, despite the pilot's attempt to switch fuel tanks.
- The pilot, who reported no injuries, attempted an emergency field landing but impacted the ground after going under wires and bouncing over a road.
- Investigators found only about 8 ounces of fuel in one wing and no fuel in the other tank after the incident.
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