Hispano Aviacion HA-200 SAETA N3179K

Summary

On 5 October 1996 at about 20:00 local time, a Hispano Aviacion HA-200 SAETA registered N3179K was involved in an accident near Elk City, Oklahoma, 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

5 October 1996 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Elk City, Oklahoma, United States

Nearest airport

Elk City Municipal (ELK)

Coordinates

35.4000, -99.4100

Aircraft

Hispano Aviacion HA-200 SAETA

Registration

N3179K

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wichita → Childress

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW97LA007

Nobody was injured.

The loss of aircraft control due to a fuel imbalance as a result of a partial failure of the fuel jettison system. A factor was that fuel could not be transferred from the left wing tip fuel tank to the rear fuselage fuel tank.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While in cruise flight the airplane experienced a fuel feed problem from the left wing tip fuel tank to the rear fuselage fuel tank. The pilot made the decision to execute a precautionary landing at the Elk City Municipal Airport to correct the fuel imbalance problem. While on short final to runway 17, at approximately 100 feet AGL, the pilot attempted to jettison the fuel from both wing tip fuel tanks in order to maintain aircraft control. The jettison cap opened fully on the right wing tip tank and only opened partially on the left wing tip tank. The pilot applied full right aileron and rudder; however, the airplane's left wing tip 'hit' the grass to the left of the runway. During the landing roll, the airplane veered off the runway to the left, crossed a drainage ditch, and came to rest upright approximately 650 feet from the runway. Examination of the left wing tip fuel tank revealed that the dump cable release was binding, and initially pulling on the cable did not retract the one ball bearing found protruding from the cylinder wall. After pulling the cable about 10 times it freed up and began to retract the ball bearing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.