Fuel Selector Confusion on the Runway 07 Departure
A Piper Cherokee 180's LEFT/RIGHT fuel selector and the cost of inattention — engine failure at 400 ft AGL over Tampa Bay
The scenario
Departing Albert Whitted Airport (KSPG), St. Petersburg, FL — Runway 07, climbing out on a 062° heading over Tampa Bay. Elevation 7 ft MSL. It is a clear, calm morning in early spring: OAT 18°C, altimeter 30.01, light winds from the northeast. Visibility 10 SM. A textbook VFR day.
You are a Private pilot with roughly 250 hours total time, 40 hours in the Piper Cherokee 180. This is a local flight — a 1-hour round trip to a nearby field and back. You completed a standard preflight: fuel tanks visually confirmed full (both left and right tanks), fuel selector checked on LEFT (the standard takeoff position), engine run-up normal, all systems green.
You are cleared for takeoff on Runway 07. The runway is 3,676 ft of asphalt. You line up, advance the throttle to full power, and begin the takeoff roll. The engine is running smoothly. Airspeed builds: 30 knots, 50 knots, rotation speed (59 KIAS). You rotate and climb out. At 400 ft AGL, heading 062°, climbing through 74 KIAS (Vy, best rate of climb), the engine begins to run rough. The tachometer is unwinding. Power is dropping noticeably.
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee 180, solo, both fuel tanks full at departure, within CG and weight limits. Lycoming O-360-A, carbureted, fixed-pitch prop, steam panel. The fuel selector is a three-position valve: LEFT, RIGHT, and OFF. There is no BOTH position — the pilot must actively switch tanks. Nothing was written up; the airplane was airworthy at departure.
Pilot: you — Private pilot, current, 250 hours total, 40 hours in type. You did not apply carburetor heat during the run-up because the engine ran smoothly. You did not apply it after takeoff because you were focused on the climb. You are now at 400 ft AGL over Tampa Bay with a rough, losing-power engine.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KSPG · Albert Whitted'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '7/25 · 18/36'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '7 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'PA-28-180'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Takeoff'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you already know about the Piper Cherokee 180's fuel system and fuel selector? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB DFW05FA028 (2004, fatal): A Piper PA-28-180 on a night cross-country flight lost engine power due to fuel starvation from improper fuel tank management. The pilot failed to switch fuel tank position in flight, running the selected tank dry. The accident was fatal. The probable cause was the pilot's in-flight mismanagement of the available fuel supply by failure to switch fuel tank position, with low ceilings and dark night conditions as contributing factors.
NTSB CEN24LA191 (2024): A Piper PA-28-180 on a cross-country personal flight lost engine power due to fuel starvation when the pilot failed to switch fuel tanks while distracted crossing a mountain range. The pilot made a forced landing in a field. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to switch fuel tanks while en route, which resulted in loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
NTSB CEN24LA189 (2024): A Piper PA-28-180 on an instructional flight lost all engine power when the student pilot positioned the fuel selector valve between port positions during descent. The probable cause was the student pilot's selection of an improper fuel tank selector position, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the instructor's inadequate oversight.
NTSB ERA24LA116 (2024): A Piper PA-28-180 experienced fuel starvation during the second approach to landing after the student pilot failed to switch fuel tanks despite instructor reminders. The flight instructor performed a forced landing to a highway. The probable cause was the student pilot's lack of fuel management during the flight and the flight instructor's inadequate monitoring of his student's fuel management.
NTSB CEN24LA108 (2024): A Piper PA-28-180 on an instructional flight experienced fuel starvation when the student pilot inadvertently positioned the fuel selector toward the OFF position during a fuel tank change. The flight instructor performed a forced landing to a field. The probable cause was the student pilot's improper movement of the fuel selector to the OFF position, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.
The local environment at KSPG makes this scenario particularly unforgiving: Runway 07's departure end is open water — Tampa Bay. An engine failure on the Runway 07 departure at low altitude is a ditching, not a field landing. There is no open field, no road, no park. The water is the off-field environment. This is the NLCD ground cover off that runway end.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft — NOT at Albert Whitted Airport. KSPG has its own accident history (see field dominant patterns), but these specific events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KSPG to make the off-field environment real and consequential for you as a student here.
The consistent thread across all these events: the Piper Cherokee 180's LEFT/RIGHT fuel selector (with no BOTH position) is a trap. The pilot must actively switch tanks in flight. Running a selected tank dry, taking off on a near-empty tank, or accidentally moving the selector to OFF during the takeoff roll — all of these are signature fuel starvation failures in this airplane. The fix is simple: a deliberate preflight check of both tanks, a clear fuel management plan before takeoff, and disciplined tank switching in flight. The failure is always inattention.
Key lesson — The Piper Cherokee 180's fuel selector has no BOTH position — the pilot must actively switch tanks. A fuel selector moved to OFF during the takeoff roll, a tank run dry in flight, or a selector positioned between ports during a tank change are all signature starvation traps. At 400 ft AGL over Tampa Bay, the decision window is measured in seconds. Preflight both tanks visually, confirm the selector is on LEFT before takeoff, and plan deliberate tank switches at altitude. Off Runway 07 at KSPG, the off-field environment is open water: a delayed response means a ditching, not a field landing.
Debrief — teaching points
The Piper Cherokee 180 has no BOTH fuel selector position — the pilot must actively switch tanks.
Unlike the Cessna 172, which has a BOTH position, the Cherokee 180's fuel selector is a three-position valve: LEFT, RIGHT, and OFF. There is no BOTH. The pilot must actively switch tanks in flight. Taking off on a near-empty tank, running a selected tank dry, or accidentally moving the selector to OFF during the takeoff roll are all signature starvation traps in this airplane. A proper preflight includes visually confirming both tanks are full and checking the selector's mechanical integrity — the detent should be firm, the cable should move smoothly, and the selector should not drift.
The first symptom of fuel starvation is engine roughness and a dropping tachometer — the same as carburetor ice.
In a carbureted airplane like the Cherokee 180, fuel starvation and carburetor ice produce similar symptoms: engine roughness, RPM loss, and a loss of power. The difference is that carburetor heat will NOT restore power if the problem is fuel starvation. If carb heat fails to clear the roughness within 10–15 seconds, the problem is not carb ice — it is fuel starvation. Check the fuel selector position immediately. Is it on LEFT? Is it in an intermediate position (between LEFT and RIGHT)? Is it on OFF? Move it to the correct position. If the engine does not respond within 10 seconds, try the RIGHT tank.
At KSPG Runway 07, an engine failure on departure is a ditching.
The off-field environment off Runway 07's departure end (heading 062°) is open water — Tampa Bay. There is no alternate landing surface. If the engine quits on the Runway 07 departure and altitude is insufficient to return to the airport, the outcome is a ditching. This is not a worst-case scenario; it is the geographic reality. Best glide is 65 KIAS. Fuel selector to OFF (to prevent fuel spillage on water). Mixture to idle cutoff. Master off just before impact. Cabin door unlatched before water contact. Flaps for slowest possible touchdown speed — impact energy rises with the square of touchdown speed, so the slowest possible speed matters most. Know this before you line up on Runway 07.
A fuel selector error at low altitude over water warrants a precautionary landing.
If the fuel selector moves to OFF during the takeoff roll and you catch it at 400 ft AGL, you have two choices: (1) correct the selector, continue the flight, and never diagnose why it moved (the hazard remains for the next flight), or (2) correct the selector, return to the airport, and request a maintenance inspection of the selector's detent, cable, and linkage. The second choice is the sound, conservative decision. An engine anomaly at low altitude over water, even one that resolves, warrants a precautionary landing and a maintenance inspection before continuing. The airplane is fine; the pilot made a defensible decision.
Fuel management in the Cherokee 180 requires a deliberate plan and disciplined execution.
Before takeoff, confirm both tanks are full and the selector is on LEFT. Plan your tank switches: typically, switch to RIGHT at 15 minutes into the flight, then alternate every 15–20 minutes to keep the fuel load balanced. Monitor the fuel gauges and the engine instruments during each switch — a rough engine or RPM loss during a tank switch is a sign of a problem (a selector in an intermediate position, a fuel line issue, or a tank running dry). At the end of the flight, plan your approach and landing on the tank you expect to use — typically, the tank with more fuel remaining. Never take off on a near-empty tank, and never fly a long cross-country without a clear fuel management plan written down.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB DFW05FA028 (2004 PA-28-180 fuel starvation / night cross-country), CEN24LA191 (2024 PA-28-180 failure to switch tanks), CEN24LA189 (2024 PA-28-180 student fuel selector error), ERA24LA116 (2024 PA-28-180 student fuel mismanagement on approach), and CEN24LA108 (2024 PA-28-180 improper fuel selector movement). Localized to KSPG.
NTSB reports: NYC03LA096 · DFW05FA028 · MIA02FA144 · WPR24LA178 · CEN24LA191 · CEN24LA189 · ERA24LA116 · CEN24LA108
ACS tasks: PA.I.F — Weather Information · PA.I.G — Cross-Country Flight Planning · PA.II.B — Engine Starting / Systems Preflight · PA.IX.C — Emergency Approach and Landing · PA.I.H — Human Factors
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.13 · §91.185
Step through the full decision tree, make the calls, and see where each choice leads — then debrief it with your CFI.
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