January 12, 2013, Winder, Ga., Piper PA-28R-180 Arrow

The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a bog following a total loss of engine power at about 1500 Eastern time. The flight instructor, private pilot and a passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane was on a left downwind for landing. Per the Before Landing checklist, the private pilot turned on the fuel pump and positioned the fuel selector to the fullest (right) tank. The engine then ran rough and lost all power.

Editorial Staff

Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

An airplane experienced a total loss of engine power, leading to a forced landing in a bog and substantial damage, though all occupants were uninjured.
The engine power loss occurred immediately after the private pilot switched the fuel selector to the fullest (right) tank during the Before Landing checklist.
Despite fuel being present in both tanks, a subsequent attempt to start the engine using the right tank during recovery resulted in only brief operation before power was lost again, suggesting a fuel delivery issue specific to that tank.

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The airplane was on a left downwind for landing. Per the Before Landing checklist, the private pilot turned on the fuel pump and positioned the fuel selector to the fullest (right) tank. The engine then ran rough and lost all power. The flight instructor took control, verified the fuel pump was on, the mixture was rich and the landing gear was down, then attempted to glide to the runway. However, there was not enough altitude to align the airplane with the runway and it traveled off the right side, into a bog. During recovery, fuel was present in both tanks. The engine was started with the fuel selector positioned to the right fuel tank. It ran for about 10 seconds and lost all power again.