Event LAX99LA259

Factual narrative

On July 26, 1999, at 1025 hours Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N5539W, lost power and made a forced landing at Hayward, California. The airplane sustained substantial damage; however, the certificated commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 by a private owner when the accident occurred. The flight originated from the Concord, California, Buchanan Field on the morning of the accident. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The pilot was executing the LOC/DME RWY 28L approach to the Hayward Air Terminal. With the airport in sight about 1 mile out on a left turn to final approach, the pilot cancelled his IFR flight plan. About 0.5 miles out and at 500 feet msl, the engine quit. In his statement to the Safety Board investigator, the pilot said he switched from the right to the left main fuel tank, applied carburetor heat, richened the mixture, advanced the throttle, checked the magneto switch position, and attempted to restart the engine. He did not report turning on his auxiliary electric fuel pump. Unable to restart the engine, the pilot declared an engine-out emergency to the Hayward tower controller. He then made an approach to the parking lot of the Southland Mall. The approach terminated with a hard landing. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector from the Oakland, California, Flight Standards District Office responded to the accident site and examined the aircraft. He reported that the right tank was filled nearly to the tab while the left tank contained approximately 5 gallons. The pilot was interviewed by the FAA inspector and stated that he had been on the right tank for both legs of a flight that had originated in Yuba City, California. He said he switched to the left tank as he was turning final. Fueling records from Sutter County airport show that the aircraft had been topped off with 16.895 gallons of fuel earlier that morning. The total flight time since the last refueling was estimated by the Safety Board investigator to have been about 2 hours. The manufacturer recommends that one tank be used for the first hour after takeoff, then the other tank be used for 2 hours. Finally, the selector should be placed on the first tank that should have about 1.5 hours of fuel remaining if the tanks were both full at takeoff. The manufacturer cautions against maneuvers that could unport a tank and recommends selecting the fullest tank for takeoffs and landings to reduce this possibility. Unporting a tank can cause an interruption of fuel flow to the engine. The manufacturer recommends that the auxiliary electric fuel pump be on for all takeoffs and landings and when switching tanks. The second item on the "Engine Power Loss In Flight" checklist is "Electric Fuel Pump - On." The pilot did not report applying carburetor heat until after the power loss occurred. The temperature was 59 degrees and the dew point was 54 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the carburetor icing probability chart, the conditions were conducive for serious icing at either cruise or climb power. While on a left turn to final approach after descending through an overcast layer, the engine quit about 0.5 miles out from the runway and at 500 feet msl. The pilot switched from the right to the left tank, applied carburetor heat, richened the mixture, advanced the throttle, checked the magneto switch position, and attempted to restart the engine. He did not report turning on his auxiliary electric fuel pump. Unable to restart the engine, he declared an engine-out emergency and made an approach to a parking lot, which terminated with a hard landing. An FAA inspector reported that the right tank was filled nearly to the tab while the left tank contained approximately 5 gallons. The pilot said he had been on the right tank for both legs of the flight. He said he switched to the left tank as he was turning final. Fueling records show the airplane had been topped off earlier that morning and had been flown 2 hours since then. The manufacturer recommends that the auxiliary electric fuel pump be on for all takeoffs and landings and when switching tanks. The second item on the 'Engine Power Loss In Flight' checklist is 'Electric Fuel Pump - On.' The pilot did not report applying carburetor heat until after the power loss occurred. The temperature was 59 degrees and the dew point was 54 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the carburetor icing probability chart, the conditions were conducive for serious icing at either cruise or climb power. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12