ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 356568
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| Date: | Tuesday 15 October 1996 |
| Time: | 16:53 LT |
| Type: |  Beechcraft S35 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N5642K |
| MSN: | 7399 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4500 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental IO-520-BA |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Palo Alto, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Thermal, CA (KTRM) |
| (KPAO) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot reported that he calculated that 60 gallons of fuel were onboard his airplane before taking off on the flight, and that fuel was located in the main and auxiliary tanks. En route, the pilot transferred all of the fuel from the tip tanks into the main tanks, and alternated using fuel from the main tanks. The pilot additionally reported that approaching Palo Alto, he repositioned the fuel selector toward the fullest tank. On final approach, all engine power was lost, and the pilot made a forced landing in a marsh area of the San Francisco Bay. The FAA coordinator reported that during examination of the airplane and surrounding marshland, no evidence of any oil or fuel leakage was found. The airplane was recovered, and its fuel tanks were found intact. The quantity of fuel observed in the left wing tip tank and the left main tank was 0.25 and 11.0 gallons, respectively. The quantity of fuel observed in the right wing tip tank and the right main tank was 0.75 and 0.50 gallons, respectively. During examination of the engine, no evidence of preimpact damage was found, and the engine was successfully test run.
Probable Cause: fuel starvation, due to the pilot's improper positioning of the fuel tank selector to an empty tank. Swampy terrain in the emergency landing area was a related factor.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX97LA020
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Mar-2024 08:33 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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