Beechcraft E35 N3257C

Summary

On 4 March 1997 at about 18:00 local time, a Beechcraft E35 registered N3257C, operated by Fullington Air Frieght Inc., was involved in an accident near Nashville, Georgia, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 March 1997 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Nashville, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Barrien County (4J2)

Coordinates

31.2007, -83.2403

Aircraft

Beechcraft E35

Registration

N3257C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Fullington Air Frieght Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bunaell → St Louis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA97LA093

1 person was seriously injured.

a stuck (jammed) fuel selector valve, due to corrosion from a fuel drain spring, which resulted in fuel starvation, loss of engine power, a forced landing, and subsequent impact with trees. A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot's inadequate preflight while using an abbreviated checklist.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

About 45 minutes after takeoff, while cruising at 8,500 feet, the pilot attempted to reposition the fuel selector to another tank, but the selector would not move. He elected to land as soon as possible to have the problem corrected. While on short final to land, the engine lost power. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. About 400 yards from the runway, the airplane's left wing struck a tree, and the airplane crashed in a swamp. An FAA investigator interviewed the pilot and asked him when he last moved the fuel selector valve. The pilot stated that he last moved it on 'the day before the flight and [it] operated normally at that time.' The fuel selector was 'not moved' before he departed for this flight. For this flight, he had used an 'abbreviated checklist.' Item 12 in the airplane's Flight Manual under the heading of starting procedures, stated; '...Activate the [fuel] selector valve several times by rotating the handle from tank to tank to ensure that the selector valve is free.' The abbreviated checklist that the pilot used did not contain item 12. Examination of the airplane's fuel selector revealed that the selector valve was stuck in the left fuel tank position due to rust from the fuel/drain spring. The rust had worked its way in between the valve seat, causing the valve to be 'stuck in place.' The left fuel tank had been breached during the accident sequence; the amount of fuel in tank at the time of the accident was not verified.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.