PLANO, TX, USA
N6088S
BEECH A36
THE PILOT HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 2.65 HOURS AND WAS RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT WHERE HE HAD RENTED THE AIRPLANE WHEN A POWER LOSS OCCURRED. HE STATED THAT HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND THE ENGINE MOMENTARILY RESTARTED THEN QUIT AGAIN. THE AIRPLANE'S RECORDED ALTITUDE WAS 2,500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL WHEN THE ENGINE STOPPED. DURING THE EMERGENCY DESCENT HE MANEUVERED OVER POWERLINES THEN LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A DIRT MOUND AND A CEMENT CULVERT. THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS FOUND EMPTY. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS FULL, BUT LEAKED DURING THE NIGHT UNTIL THE RECOVERY TEAM ARRIVED. ELEVEN GALLONS OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT TANK. THE ENGINE WAS TEST RUN USING THE FUEL FROM THE RIGHT TANK. NO ANOMALIES WERE NOTED TO THE ENGINE. DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS PREVAILED
On March 6, 1993, at approximately 1915 central standard time, a Beech A36, N6088S, was substantially damaged, when it collided with a dirt mound and a culvert, during a forced landing near Plano, Texas. The private pilot and two passengers received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. The pilot rented the airplane from Centerline Aviation at Addison Airport, Addison, Texas. He flew to Mount Pleasant, Texas, and was returning when the loss of power occurred. The airplane was observed on radar to be at 2,500 feet msl when the pilot reported the loss of power. He stated that during the emergency descent he had to maneuver over high tension power lines and subsequently landed hard and impacted a dirt mound and a cement culvert. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident site reported finding the fuel selector on the left tank, which was empty. The right fuel tank was nearly full of fuel, but was leaking onto the ground. Additionally, the fuel boost pump was found in the on position. The following day, the aircraft recovery company drained approximately eleven gallons of fuel from the right tank under the direction of the local Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) representative. The pilot made the following statements concerning the flight. During the return flight from Mount Pleasant, Texas, to Addison, he used the right fuel tank. When the engine stopped, he switched to the left fuel tank and restarted the engine which ran momentarily and quit again. He made a radio call, picked an open field, and landed.
FUEL STARVATION INDUCED POWER LOSS RESULTANT FROM FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO SWITCH THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE PROPER FUEL TANK. FACTORS WERE THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS AND LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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