ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 356192
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| Date: | Tuesday 4 March 1997 |
| Time: | 14:00 LT |
| Type: |  Beechcraft E35 |
| Owner/operator: | Fullington Air Frieght Inc. |
| Registration: | N3257C |
| MSN: | D-3922 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1953 |
| Engine model: | Continental E-225-8 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Nashville, GA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Bunaell, FL (X47) |
| St Louis, MO (KSUS) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
About 45 minutes after takeoff, while cruising at 8,500 feet, the pilot attempted to reposition the fuel selector to another tank, but the selector would not move. He elected to land as soon as possible to have the problem corrected. While on short final to land, the engine lost power. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. About 400 yards from the runway, the airplane's left wing struck a tree, and the airplane crashed in a swamp. An FAA investigator interviewed the pilot and asked him when he last moved the fuel selector valve. The pilot stated that he last moved it on 'the day before the flight and [it] operated normally at that time.' The fuel selector was 'not moved' before he departed for this flight. For this flight, he had used an 'abbreviated checklist.' Item 12 in the airplane's Flight Manual under the heading of starting procedures, stated; '...Activate the [fuel] selector valve several times by rotating the handle from tank to tank to ensure that the selector valve is free.' The abbreviated checklist that the pilot used did not contain item 12. Examination of the airplane's fuel selector revealed that the selector valve was stuck in the left fuel tank position due to rust from the fuel/drain spring. The rust had worked its way in between the valve seat, causing the valve to be 'stuck in place.' The left fuel tank had been breached during the accident sequence; the amount of fuel in tank at the time of the accident was not verified.
Probable Cause: a stuck (jammed) fuel selector valve, due to corrosion from a fuel drain spring, which resulted in fuel starvation, loss of engine power, a forced landing, and subsequent impact with trees. A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot's inadequate preflight while using an abbreviated checklist.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB MIA97LA093
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Mar-2024 19:58 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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