ASN Aircraft accident Grumman HU-16C Albatross N70258 Fort Pierce-Saint Lucie County Airport, FL (FPR)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Thursday 25 September 2003
Time:11:26
Type:Silhouette image of generic U16 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Grumman HU-16C Albatross
Operator:Corsair Aviation Holdings Inc
Registration: N70258
MSN: G-418
First flight:
Crew:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Total:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:5 km (3.1 mls) NW of Fort Pierce-Saint Lucie County Airport, FL (FPR) (   United States of America)
Phase: Initial climb (ICL)
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Fort Pierce-Saint Lucie County Airport, FL (FPR/KFPR), United States of America
Destination airport:Fort Pierce-Saint Lucie County Airport, FL (FPR/KFPR), United States of America
Narrative:
A Grumman HU-16C, N70258, registered to Corsair Aviation Holdings Inc. and operated by an airline transport pilot, collided with a stand of trees during an emergency landing in the vicinity of the Fort Pierce-Saint Lucie County Airport, FL (FPR). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airline transport pilot received minor injuries. The airline transport rated second pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. The flight departed the St. Lucie International Airport at 11:20 on a local flight.
According to the pilot, during climb-out from runway 09 at an altitude of approximately 500 feet the right engine warning red magnetic chip detector light illuminated. The pilot decided to shut down the right engine and return to the airport. Shortly after making that decision the left engine began to lose power. The airplane was unable to maintain altitude, and the pilot prepared to make an off-airport emergency landing in a field. The airplane collided with the trees as the pilot maneuvered for the emergency landing. Examination of the airframe, and flight controls revealed no anomalies. Examination of the left and right engine revealed no mechanical anomalies. Examination of cockpit fuel selector controls revealed that the left engine fuel selector handle was in the off position and the right engine fuel selector handle was set in the left tank position. During the in-flight engine secure procedures the pilot is required to place the inoperative engine fuel selector in the off position

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "A loss of engine power due to the pilot placing the fuel selector in the off position which resulted in fuel starvation to the left engine, after the pilot intentionally shut down the right engine."

Accident investigation:

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Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 7 months
Accident number: ATL03FA147
Download report: Summary report

Sources:
» NTSB


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This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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