A typical fuel system diagram for the Piper Cherokee.

by Jeb Burnside

When an aircraft is damaged and subsequently rebuilt, care must be taken not only to ensure that the manufacturer’s instructions are followed but that everything works as it should. Sometimes, in our haste to get an airplane back in the air, we cut corners. We don’t use alternate methods to verify that all the big parts are attached and working as they should. Even though an initial test flight indicates the engine runs and the airplane flies, it doesn’t mean everything is working as it should. A brand-new Private pilot flying a just-repaired Cherokee 180 learned this lesson the hard way. …