PIPER PA-28R-200

Full Narrative

On November 24, 2024, about 1630 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28R-200 airplane, N55641, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Gillette, Wyoming. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
 
The pilot stated that earlier in the day he departed from Southwest Oregon Regional Airport (OTH), North Bend, Oregon, for a cross-country flight with two planned fuel stops. After an uneventful first fuel stop, the pilot continued the flight and landed at Gillette-Campbell County Airport (GCC), Gillette, Wyoming, for the second fuel stop. The pilot refueled the airplane at the self-service fuel facility, reported 48 gallons of fuel onboard at takeoff, and departed from runway 34. The airplane lifted off, and the pilot retracted the landing gear around midfield. Immediately thereafter, the pilot smelled fuel, and the engine began to run rough. The pilot initiated a right turn back toward the airport, but the airplane was unable to maintain altitude. The airplane touched down in a field and collided with a fence. During the accident sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing and the fuselage.
 
The airplane had undergone maintenance a few days before the accident. The maintenance records indicated that an annual inspection was performed on November 22, 2024, at a total time of 6861.5 hours, which equated to 5.5 flight hours before the accident. The logbook entry indicated that the mechanic repositioned the fuel line to the engine-driven fuel pump for clearance from the nose landing gear.

The airplane was equipped with an aluminum fuel system consisting of one fuel tank installed in the inboard leading edge section of each wing. Each tank had a capacity of 25 gallons and incorporated a strainer at the fuel outlet. Fuel flowed from each tank through fuel lines routed to a selector in the cockpit. From the selector, the fuel continued to the gascolator, then to an electric fuel pump, through the engine-driven fuel pump, and to the fuel servo.

An FAA inspector conducted a postaccident examination of the airplane. After removing the engine cowling, the inspector observed the flexible fuel line (part number 63901-38) routed to the engine-driven fuel pump. The aluminum alloy B-nut securing the fuel line at the pump inlet was loose and could be rotated approximately one-half turn by hand before the fitting came off (see figure 1). Visible fuel staining and spray residue were present at the pump inlet area. Examination of the fuel line routing revealed marks consistent with prior contact or rubbing near the nose landing gear area. The Lycoming Service Table of Limits specified a torque of 75 to 125 inch-pounds for the fitting.


Figure 1. Fuel line and torque specifications as per the Piper maintenance manual