Narrative:

This flight of PA28-235 started at peter O knight (tpf) airport, tampa, fl. The WX conditions were VFR, sunny with few clouds. Start up went well. No problems during preflight, engine start, and instrument check. Aircraft had 4 tanks of full fuel (2 tanks per wing), 84 gals usable: 25 gals each main and 17 gals each tip tank. Engine start up of aircraft was on right tip tank. The fuel selector was not moved from above position during the whole flight. Duration of engine running time was about 65 mins (XA50-XB35). Duration of flight from runway 21, tpf to runway 14, ZZZ 55-60 mins. On final, for runway 14, it was determined to be high for a normal landing. Then an attempt to go around for runway 14 was started, but the engine failed (the throttle, propeller and mixture were all in full position at the time) with 50% of the runway left beneath us. The passenger (a CFI) tried to land the aircraft on the runway. The aircraft touched down with 25% of the runway left in front of it. I then tried to apply the brakes, but they did not stop the aircraft. The aircraft continued down the runway, off into the grass in front of it and through a deep ditch some 50 ft from the end of the runway, at which point the left main landing gear departed the left wing. The nose gear folded underneath the aircraft. The right main landing gear did not break off. Right wing appeared not to be damaged afterwards. The left wing came to rest on the ground still firmly attached to the aircraft, with some skin torn in places. The engine area: propeller was bent both sides. No sign of fire or fuel leakage afterwards. No one was hurt during this aircraft incident. I think the cause of this aircraft incident was no fuel to the engine. The right tip tank was too low on fuel (or empty) for it to pump fuel to the engine. The right tip tank only holds 17 gals usable fuel. Enough fuel for a little more than 1 hour of flight or engine running time. The way I would have prevented this incident is I would have followed the checklist completely by switching tanks from a tip tank used during flight to a main tank for landing. I would in the future, keep track of the time of each tank usage and quantity of fuel in each of them, plus use main tanks for all takeoffs and lndgs, using tip tanks for cruise flight only. Supplemental information from acn 604214: a pilot friend of mine asked me to ride along with him in one of his friend's airplane. I am a pilot as well. On final approach, my friend was a bit high and fast. I suggested we do a go around. He agreed and applied full power and raised the nose to a climb attitude. A few seconds later, the engine quit. We landed on the remaining available runway, but stopped a few hundred feet past the end. There were no injuries. The investigation found that the engine quit due to fuel starvation in one of the auxiliary fuel tanks. In looking back at the situation, even though I was not PIC, I believe I should have taken a few moments to familiarize myself with the various system in the airplane. I believe I should have taken a moment to look at the fuel system, its tanks, and operation to see if it was different from any other aircraft I had been in or flown. The biggest learning experience for me was that, even aircraft of the same make and model can have different types of fuel system. Whether you are a PF or pilot passenger, you should always try to familiarize yourself with an aircraft you are flying in.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT FAILS TO CHANGE FUEL TANKS. DURING A GAR, THE ENG HAD FUEL STARVATION RESULTING IN A LNDG THAT RAN OFF THE RWY WITH ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: THIS FLT OF PA28-235 STARTED AT PETER O KNIGHT (TPF) ARPT, TAMPA, FL. THE WX CONDITIONS WERE VFR, SUNNY WITH FEW CLOUDS. START UP WENT WELL. NO PROBS DURING PREFLT, ENG START, AND INST CHK. ACFT HAD 4 TANKS OF FULL FUEL (2 TANKS PER WING), 84 GALS USABLE: 25 GALS EACH MAIN AND 17 GALS EACH TIP TANK. ENG START UP OF ACFT WAS ON R TIP TANK. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS NOT MOVED FROM ABOVE POS DURING THE WHOLE FLT. DURATION OF ENG RUNNING TIME WAS ABOUT 65 MINS (XA50-XB35). DURATION OF FLT FROM RWY 21, TPF TO RWY 14, ZZZ 55-60 MINS. ON FINAL, FOR RWY 14, IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE HIGH FOR A NORMAL LNDG. THEN AN ATTEMPT TO GO AROUND FOR RWY 14 WAS STARTED, BUT THE ENG FAILED (THE THROTTLE, PROP AND MIXTURE WERE ALL IN FULL POS AT THE TIME) WITH 50% OF THE RWY LEFT BENEATH US. THE PAX (A CFI) TRIED TO LAND THE ACFT ON THE RWY. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN WITH 25% OF THE RWY LEFT IN FRONT OF IT. I THEN TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, BUT THEY DID NOT STOP THE ACFT. THE ACFT CONTINUED DOWN THE RWY, OFF INTO THE GRASS IN FRONT OF IT AND THROUGH A DEEP DITCH SOME 50 FT FROM THE END OF THE RWY, AT WHICH POINT THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR DEPARTED THE L WING. THE NOSE GEAR FOLDED UNDERNEATH THE ACFT. THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR DID NOT BREAK OFF. R WING APPEARED NOT TO BE DAMAGED AFTERWARDS. THE L WING CAME TO REST ON THE GND STILL FIRMLY ATTACHED TO THE ACFT, WITH SOME SKIN TORN IN PLACES. THE ENG AREA: PROP WAS BENT BOTH SIDES. NO SIGN OF FIRE OR FUEL LEAKAGE AFTERWARDS. NO ONE WAS HURT DURING THIS ACFT INCIDENT. I THINK THE CAUSE OF THIS ACFT INCIDENT WAS NO FUEL TO THE ENG. THE R TIP TANK WAS TOO LOW ON FUEL (OR EMPTY) FOR IT TO PUMP FUEL TO THE ENG. THE R TIP TANK ONLY HOLDS 17 GALS USABLE FUEL. ENOUGH FUEL FOR A LITTLE MORE THAN 1 HR OF FLT OR ENG RUNNING TIME. THE WAY I WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT IS I WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE CHKLIST COMPLETELY BY SWITCHING TANKS FROM A TIP TANK USED DURING FLT TO A MAIN TANK FOR LNDG. I WOULD IN THE FUTURE, KEEP TRACK OF THE TIME OF EACH TANK USAGE AND QUANTITY OF FUEL IN EACH OF THEM, PLUS USE MAIN TANKS FOR ALL TKOFS AND LNDGS, USING TIP TANKS FOR CRUISE FLT ONLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 604214: A PLT FRIEND OF MINE ASKED ME TO RIDE ALONG WITH HIM IN ONE OF HIS FRIEND'S AIRPLANE. I AM A PLT AS WELL. ON FINAL APCH, MY FRIEND WAS A BIT HIGH AND FAST. I SUGGESTED WE DO A GAR. HE AGREED AND APPLIED FULL PWR AND RAISED THE NOSE TO A CLB ATTITUDE. A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE ENG QUIT. WE LANDED ON THE REMAINING AVAILABLE RWY, BUT STOPPED A FEW HUNDRED FEET PAST THE END. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION IN ONE OF THE AUX FUEL TANKS. IN LOOKING BACK AT THE SIT, EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT PIC, I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A FEW MOMENTS TO FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH THE VARIOUS SYS IN THE AIRPLANE. I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A MOMENT TO LOOK AT THE FUEL SYS, ITS TANKS, AND OP TO SEE IF IT WAS DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER ACFT I HAD BEEN IN OR FLOWN. THE BIGGEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME WAS THAT, EVEN ACFT OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL CAN HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FUEL SYS. WHETHER YOU ARE A PF OR PLT PAX, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS TRY TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH AN ACFT YOU ARE FLYING IN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.