The airplane was substantially damaged after experiencing a loss of engine power and forced landing at about 2045 Eastern time. Visual conditions prevailed. The private pilot and one passenger had minor injuries. The pilot reported he was approaching his destination when the engine lost power and quit. Unable to reach the runway, he force-landed on a beach. The airplane struck a piling and came to rest in knee-deep water. He believed there was half a tank of fuel on board when he departed. After the airplane was recovered, a detailed examination was performed. The following fuel lines were removed and no fuel was found inside the lines: fuel tanks to engine firewall, firewall to fuel pump, fuel pump to fuel control, fuel control to fuel distribution valve and fuel distribution valve to fuel injectors.
March 19, 2011, Vineyard Haven, Mass., Piper PA-32R-300
The airplane was substantially damaged after experiencing a loss of engine power and forced landing at about 2045 Eastern time. Visual conditions prevailed. The private pilot and one passenger had minor injuries. The pilot reported he was approaching his destination when the engine lost power and quit. Unable to reach the runway, he force-landed on a beach. The airplane struck a piling and came to rest in knee-deep water.
Key Takeaways:
- An airplane sustained substantial damage and its two occupants minor injuries during a forced landing on a beach after experiencing a complete loss of engine power.
- The pilot reported the engine quit unexpectedly while approaching the destination, leading to the forced landing where the aircraft struck a piling and came to rest in knee-deep water.
- A post-recovery examination found no fuel in any of the fuel lines from the tanks to the engine, indicating fuel exhaustion was the likely cause of the power loss despite the pilot's belief of having half a tank.
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