At 10:25 PDT, a Piper PA28-180 lost power and made a forced landing at Hayward. The airplane was substantially damaged but the pilot was not injured. The pilot was executing the LOC/DME RWY 28L approach when, with the airport in sight about 1 mile out, he canceled his IFR flight plan. The engine quit at a half-mile out and at 500 feet. The investigator found that the right tank was filled nearly to the tab while the left tank was empty. The pilot said he had been on the right tank for the entire 2:25 flight and that he switched to the left tank as he was turning final.
July 26, Hayward, Calif. / Piper PA28-180 Archer
At 10:25 PDT, a Piper PA28-180 lost power and made a forced landing at Hayward. The airplane was substantially damaged but the pilot was not injured. The pilot was executing the LOC/DME RWY 28L approach when, with the airport in sight about 1 mile out, he canceled his IFR flight plan. The engine quit at a half-mile out and at 500 feet. The investigator found that the right tank was filled nearly to the tab while the left tank was empty. The pilot said he had been on the right tank for the entire 2:25 flight and that he switched to the left tank as he was turning final....
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper PA28-180 executed a forced landing at Hayward due to engine power loss during an approach, resulting in substantial aircraft damage but no pilot injury.
- The investigation revealed that the right fuel tank was nearly full while the left tank was empty, indicating a likely fuel starvation issue.
- The pilot confirmed he had been operating on the right tank for the entire 2-hour 25-minute flight and only switched to the left tank while on final approach.
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