Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 N45043

Summary

On 3 April 1996 at about 17:30 local time, a Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 registered N45043 was involved in an accident near Chandler, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 April 1996 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Chandler, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

33.3191, -111.8192

Aircraft

Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3

Registration

N45043

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX96LA153

Nobody was injured.

The failure of both the engine driven and hand wobble fuel pumps, which resulted in fuel starvation to the engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was in cruise when the fuel pressure went to zero. He attempted to restore the fuel pressure by using a hand wobble pump but was unsuccessful. The engine lost power and the aircraft nosed over during the forced landing in desert terrain. FAA inspectors examined the aircraft and found fuel in the tanks. The engine driven and hand wobble fuel pumps were removed from the engine and taken to an overhaul facility where they were installed in a calibrated test bench for a functional check. Both pumps failed the functional test and did not flow any fuel. Review of the maintenance records revealed no entry denoting an overhaul of the components at the time of the last engine overhaul. The history, calendar age, and total time of the pumps are unknown.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.