Weatherford, TX, USA
N18925
BEECH 19
The flight instructor stated that a preflight visual inspection of the airplane's fuel tanks indicated that the fuel in each tank was just above the tabs, which corresponded to 30 total gallons of fuel on board; he added that a pretakeoff engine run up revealed no anomalies. He and the student pilot then departed on the instructional flight and flew for about 30 minutes using fuel from the left fuel tank before switching to the right tank. The student reported that, when they switched fuel tanks, the left tank gauge indicated "just above half" full, and the right tank gauge indicated "slightly higher" than half full. Shortly thereafter, the student activated the carburetor heat and reduced engine power to idle to perform a simulated engine failure and forced landing; however, when the student applied the throttle at the conclusion of the simulation, engine power did not increase. The flight instructor performed a forced landing, during which the airplane impacted a tree. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector was positioned to the left fuel tank, which was undamaged and contained no fuel. The right fuel tank contained about 14 gallons of fuel. The fuel lines from the engine firewall to the carburetor did not contain fuel. The fuel quantity transmitters were not tested, and their accuracy was not determined. No mechanical anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane, and the loss of engine power is consistent with fuel starvation.
On May 8, 2017 about 0925 central daylight time, a Beech B19, N18925, experienced a partial loss of engine power and impacted terrain during a forced landing near Granbury, Texas. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor and a student pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was registered to an individual and operated by Hyde Flight School under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight that was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight originated from Granbury Regional Airport, Granbury, Texas about 0845. The flight instructor stated that there were no airplane discrepancies after its preflight. The fuel level in the left and right fuel tanks was visually checked and was "slightly above the bottom tabs, which meant there was 30 gallons of fuel on board" (The aircraft type certificate data sheet stated that the useable fuel per fuel tank was 29.4 gallons). The student pilot stated that the airplane runup and takeoff were performed with the fuel selector positioned to the left fuel tank. The flight instructor stated that after about 30 minutes of airwork, the fuel boost pump was selected on, and the fuel tank selector was positioned to the right fuel tank. The flight instructor said that he visually checked the fuel selector was against the right detent. The student pilot "glanced" at the fuel gauges, which indicated that the left fuel tank gauge was "just above half" a tank, and the right fuel tank gauge indicated "slightly higher" than half a tank. The flight instructor stated that the boost pump remained on for the next maneuver, which was a simulated forced landing. He said that for the maneuver, the student pilot turned the carburetor heat on, reduced throttle to idle, and flew a best glide airspeed beginning from 3,000 feet mean sea level. At 2,000 feet mean sea level, the flight instructor told the student pilot to abort the maneuver because the airplane was not going to attain the intended landing field. When the student pilot advanced the throttle control forward and turned the carburetor heat off, there was no response from the engine, which remained at idle power. The flight instructor said he cycled the throttle control and turned the carburetor heat on. He told the student pilot to check the magnetos and turn the ignition to the start position. Engine power was not restored, and the flight instructor performed a forced landing during which the airplane struck trees at an airspeed near aerodynamic stall. Post-accident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector from the North Texas Flight Standards District Office revealed the fuel selector was positioned to the left fuel tank. There was no useable fuel in the left fuel tank, and the right fuel tank contained about 14 gallons of fuel. Post-accident examination of the engine (Lycoming O-320-D3G, serial number L10175-39A) revealed that the throttle and mixture controls from the cockpit to the carburetor were attached and secure. There was no fuel in the fuel lines, which were attached, secure, and unbroken from the firewall to the carburetor. The engine exhibited compression in all cylinders and engine continuity of valve and drive trains was confirmed during hand rotation of the engine. Electrical continuity from the magnetos through the ignition system was confirmed. Engine timing was checked and confirmed to be within the engine manufacturer's specifications. The fuel quantity transmitters were not tested due to concern of fire if electrical power was placed on the airplane for the test. A fuel receipt showed that the airplane was last fueled on May 6, 2017 with 15.15 gallons of fuel. According to the FAA inspector, the operator stated the airplane flew two flights with a total flight time of 2.7 hours after the last fuel purchase. There was no fuel purchase for the airplane on the day of the accident.
The flight instructor’s inadequate in-flight fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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