WEST SEATTLE, WA, USA
N4247A
de Havilland DHC-3 TURBO
ACFT WAS PERFORMING TEST FLT MANEUVERS WHEN PROBLEMS WITH THE MODIFIED FUEL SYSTEM OCCURRED. ICE BLOCKING A FUEL VENT LINE CAUSED A PARTIAL COLLAPSE OF THE MAIN (ENGINE FEED) FUEL CELL WHICH PRODUCED AN ERROUNEOUS FUEL QUANTITY READING. IN ADDITION, THE MAIN TANK OVERFLOW SHUTOFF VALVE WAS LEAKING, SO TANK OVERFLOW OCCURRED. THE FUEL OVERFLOW CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND AUXILIARY TANK FUEL PUMP FEED TO MAIN AUTOMATICALLY SHUT DOWN. DUE TO MISCALIBRATION, THIS SYSTEM OVERRODE PLT ATTEMPTS TO RESTART AUX FUEL PUMPS. PLT REMAINED IN TEST AREA TROUBLESHOOTING RATHER THAN IMMEDIATE RETURN TO BASE, FINALLY NOTED MAIN TANK GAGE CONTINUING TO READ 'FULL.' EN ROUTE TO BOEING FIELD, FUEL STARVATION OCCURRED. PLTOPTED TO ATTEMPT FORCED LNDG IN SMALL ATHLETIC FIELD IN RESIDENTIAL AREA RATHER THAN DITCH IN PUGET SOUND. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN IN INTENDED LNDG AREA, THEN BOUNCED ACROSS AN ADJACENT STREET. THE ARRESTING ACTION OF TELEPHONE WIRES ON THE VERTICAL FIN BROUGHT THE ACFT TO REST IN A RESIDENTIAL BACKYARD.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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