ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 179292
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| Date: | Thursday 1 July 2004 |
| Time: | 15:02 |
| Type: |  Beechcraft 35 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N5345E |
| MSN: | 05811 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2730 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental IO-470 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Morgantown Airport, Morgantown, WV -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Morgantown Airport, WV (MGW/KMGW) |
| Somerset, PA (2G9) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot departed with the right fuel tank full (approximately 17 gallons) and the left tank about half full. He flew for approximately 30 minutes with the right fuel tank selected, and landed at his destination airport. The pilot departed again with the right tank selected for the return flight. As the airplane reached the end of the runway, the engine began to sputter and then lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane impacted trees. The pilot reported that the airplane burned more fuel when the right tank was selected, since unused fuel from the engine is returned to the left fuel tank. The pilot stated that the cause of the accident was, "fuel starvation and simple pilot error." Examination of the airplane revealed the right fuel tank was ruptured, and the left fuel tank was approximately half full. The fuel lines from the fuel pump to the fuel injector, and the line from the fuel distributor to the cylinders contained no fuel. The fuel line from the fuel selector to the fuel pump contained residual fuel only. According to the Beechcraft BE-35 Pilot's Operating Handbook, "The pressure type carburetor returns about 3 gallons per hour of excess fuel to the left main cell regardless of the cell selected." The fuel burn rate depicted in the Performance section of the Handbook was approximately 9.5 gallons per hour.
Probable Cause: The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent loss of engine power.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20040712X00947&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Sep-2015 14:01 | Noro | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 07-Dec-2017 18:11 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Cn, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Sep-2023 07:18 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Cn, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]] |
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