ERA20LA164

Factual narrative

On April 27, 2020, at 1735 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32RT-300, N772SG, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Meridianville, Tennessee. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, while on final approach to runway 36, he determined that the airplane was too high and too fast, so he reduced the engine power to idle and performed a forward slip to the left for about 5 seconds. He then applied engine power to arrest the descent rate; however, the engine did not respond. The pilot stated that there was little time to perform remedial actions to restore power, although he did check the fuel pump and cycle the throttle before executing a forced landing in the field leading up to the runway. Postaccident, the pilot reported that he "may have unported the fuel uptake during the slip." He reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the loss the engine power on final approach. Inspection of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane was intact and came to rest upright in the field about 1,600 ft from the runway threshold. Both wings sustained substantial damage. During recovery, 25 and 7 gallons of fuel were removed from the airplane's right and left fuel tanks, respectively. The fuel selector was positioned to the right fuel tank. The engine was successfully started twice and allowed to idle during post accident examination. Higher power settings were not attempted due to safety concerns. No anomalies were noted with the engine during the examination. The airplane's pilot operating handbook stated in part: The shape of the wing fuel tanks is such that in certain maneuvers the fuel may move away from the tank outlet. If the outlet is uncovered, the fuel flow will be interrupted and a temporary loss of power may result. Pilots can prevent inadvertent uncovering of the outlet by avoiding maneuvers which could result in uncovering the outlet. Prolonged slips or skids which result in excess of 2000 ft of altitude loss, or other radical or extreme maneuvers which could cause uncovering of the fuel outlet must be avoided as fuel flow interruption may occur when tank being used is not full. The pilot reported that, during approach, the airplane was too fast and high, so he performed a slip maneuver to increase the descent rate. The pilot then added power to arrest the descent rate; however, the engine did not respond. The pilot executed a forced landing into a field about 1,600 ft short of the runway threshold, resulting in substantial damage to both wings. Twenty-five gallons of fuel was recovered from the left fuel tank and 7 gallons of fuel was recovered from the right fuel tank. The fuel tank selector valve was positioned to the right tank. The engine was successfully started and run at idle power following the accident and no anomalies were noted. The pilot’s operating handbook stated that certain extreme maneuvers, including slip maneuvers, could result in unporting of the fuel supply if the selected fuel tank is not full. It is likely that the fuel unported from the right fuel tank during the slip maneuver, resulting in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Not attained/maintained
• C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot
• C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Fuel system-Fuel distribution-Incorrect use/operation