OXFORD, ME, USA
N14WW
BEECH D55
THE PILOT INITIATED A TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 33. AFTER LIFTOFF, THE LEFT ENGINE QUIT, FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN AN AREA WITH TREES. AN EXAM REVEALED THE FUEL TANK SELECTORS WERE IN THE AUXILIARY (AUX) POSITIONS. NO FUEL LEAKS WERE DETECTED IN THE AUX TANKS. THE LEFT AUX TANK HAD 4 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING, AND THE RIGHT AUX TANK HAD 5 GALLONS REMAINING. THOUGH DAMAGED, 1 GALLON OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE LEFT MAIN TANK; THE RIGHT MAIN TANK WAS EMPTY. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, 15 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS ADDED TO THE LEFT MAIN TANK BEFORE IT BEGAN TO LEAK; NO TEST OF THE RIGHT MAIN TANK WAS MADE SINCE ITS BLADDER WAS RUPTURED. THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK REQUIRED THAT FOR TAKEOFF, THE MAIN FUEL TANKS BE SELECTED AND THAT EACH MAIN TANK HAVE A MINIMUM OF 13 GALLONS OF FUEL. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, BOTH ENGINES WERE STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY, USING THE FUEL IN THE TANKS. THE PILOT HAD A TOTAL OF 30 HOURS IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRPLANE.
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PREFLIGHT AND FUEL TANK SELECTION FOR TAKEOFF, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION AND LOSS OF POWER IN BOTH ENGINES DURING TAKEOFF.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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