PARRFIELD, OH, USA
N99BR
PIPER PA-23-250
WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 8000 FEET, BOTH ENGINES LOST POWER WITHIN 30 SECONDS OF EACH OTHER. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS UNABLE TO GET EITHER ENGINE RESTARTED, ALTHOUGH THE ENGINES WOULD OCCASIONALLY RUN FOR 3 OR 4 SECONDS AND THEN STOP. ATC VECTORED THE AIRPLANE TOWARD AN AIRPORT, WHICH THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO REACH, AND AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING WAS DONE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER THE ENGINES LOST POWER, HE SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE INBOARD TO THE OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS. THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED ABOUT 3 TO 4 TABLESPOONS OF FUEL IN EACH CARBURETOR. THE OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY; THE INBOARD FUEL TANKS CONTAINED FUEL. THE LEFT FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO THE OUTBOARD TANKS. THE RIGHT FUEL SELECTOR WAS DAMAGED AND ITS POSITION WAS NOT DETERMINED.
On March 5, 1994, at 0902 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-23-250, N99BR, lost power in both engines and made an off airport landing in an open field near Parrfield, Ohio. The airplane received substantial damage. One passenger received minor injuries, and the pilot and other passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and the flight was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan under 14 CFR Part 91. In the NTSB Accident Report, the pilot stated: ...We had been flying for 2 hrs and 20 minutes on main tanks which were full - 36 gal each - and should have provided 3 hrs of cruise at 65 % power. Without warning the right engine lost power. I immediately switched to other main tank - also full - and moved mixture to rich and props to full and fuel pumps on. At about the end of this process (about 30 sec. after right engine failure) the left engine quit. It turned left tank selector to other main tank, checked mix rich - fuel pumps on - and turned crossfeed valve on - no response...I tried throttle positions - carb heat - mags ck/on, pumps ck/on, x-feed ck/on - occasionally one or the other engine would run for 3 - 4 seconds but neither one continued to run. The spurts of power did not seem to be related to any of my actions. When I finally saw the airport and attempted to land, I did not have enough altitude to reach the runway - final approach was about 45 degrees left base/final. When I realized runway was out of reach, I leveled the wings and landed. The aircraft struck the ground wings level, under control on a grassy area, at near stalling speed, and slid into brush and small trees.... When interviewed the pilot said he moved the right fuel selector valve to the right inboard main tank and did not change its position again. When the left engine failed a few seconds later, he was not certain although he believed he did position the left fuel selector valve to the left inboard main tank. The fuel selector valves were controlled by 2, three position locking levers (Fwd - Outboard Mains, Middle - OFF, Aft - Inboard Mains) located between the seats and connected to the selector valves by cables. A crossfeed valve handle was located between the two fuel selector handles. When moved forward, crossfeed was selected on, and when moved aft, the crossfeed was turned off. The airplane was examined by Mr. Jay Wilkins, an FAA Airworthiness Inspector from the Columbus Flight Standards District Office. In a written statement, he reported both inboard wing tanks were full of fuel. The right outboard tank was empty and the left outboard tank was damaged in the accident and had no fuel. The right tip tank was empty and the left tip tank was damaged in the accident. The right fuel shutoff valve [fuel selector valve] was damaged by impact and its pre-impact position was not determined. The left fuel shutoff valve [fuel selector valve] operated normally in all positions. No obstructions were found in the fuel lines leading to the carburetors, and no mechanical anomalies were found with the carburetors. The fuel levels inside the float chambers of the carburetors were below the pickup level. In a telephone interview, Mr. Wilkins reported that the cockpit control handles for the fuel valves were found in the forward position (outboard mains) and the cockpit control handle for the crossfeed was found forward (crossfeed on). Although the left outboard fuel tank was ruptured, there was no smell of gasoline at the scene. When the cockpit control handle for the left fuel valve was selected to a tank with fuel, fuel flowed via gravity, and when turned off no fuel flowed. Due to impact damage the right fuel valve was disconnected from its actuation cables. When the valve was positioned by hand to a tank with residual fuel in the line, fuel flowed via gravity. When position to off, no fuel flowed. Additionally, neither propeller had been feathered. In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot reported, he had a total time of 576 hours, with 30 hours in multi-engine airplanes and 24 hours in the Piper PA-23-250.
The pilot's mismanagment of the fuel supply by the improper positioning of the fuel selector valves, which resulted in fuel starvation and the total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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